Elections Postponement: PDP To Reopen Campaigns, Says INEC Erred In Prohibition Directives.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said that it will reopen
its campaigns following the postponement of elections by INEC.

In a statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan,
the party said the electoral umpire erred in saying that campaigns
remain closed.

Mr Ologbondiyan noted that such administrative pronouncement was
erroneous, directly in conflict with the provision of the Electoral
Act and is not backed by any other law in our country.

He stressed that the party’s position is hinged upon the
provision of section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act which stipulated
that “for the purposes of this Act, the period of campaigning in
public by every political party shall commence 90 days before
polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day”.

The PDP said that INEC’s administrative pronouncement conflicts
with the Electoral Act, adding that such administrative
pronouncement must bow before the law.

Below is a full statement by the PDP as published by
Kola Ologbondiyan.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after due consideration of
the provision of the Electoral Act, is set to reopen its open
campaigns consequent upon the postponement of Presidential and
National Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) from the earlier scheduled date of February 16 to
February 23, 2019.

The party rejects the wrongful administrative prohibition of
open campaigns by INEC, holding that such administrative
pronouncement was erroneous, directly in conflict with the
provision of the Electoral Act and is not backed by any other law
in our country.

Our position is predicated on the clear provision of section 99
(1) of the Electoral Act which stipulated that “for the purposes of
this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political
party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours
prior to that day”.

The clear import of this provision, in the current situation, is
that given the postponement of the election to February 23, 2019,
the 24 hours requirement for closure of all public campaigning
falls at midnight of February 21.

The PDP reminds INEC that whenever its administrative
pronouncement conflicts with the Electoral Act, such administrative
pronouncement must bow before the law. The party charges INEC to be
appropriately guided while directing its members to await further
directives ahead of its reopening of campaigns.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
And
Director, Media & Publicity
PDP Presidential Campaign Organization”