Campaign Closure: APC faults INEC’s decision, vows to resume campaigns

The All Progressive Congress has faulted the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission on closure of election campaigns by political parties, following the postponement of the general elections.
APC’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, expressed disappointment with the INEC decision during the party’s caucus meeting on Monday in Abuja.
He said: “We called this meeting to give our people hope and renew our commitment to a democratic, free, fair and credible elections.
“And the way forward to that is that we must now go back with the additional cost that it entails to renew the campaign.
“And again, INEC’s wrong decision to attempt to amend the law through mere administrative pronouncement to the effect that campaigns are frozen, INEC is not in a position to make laws.
“The laws made by our parliament are superior to the opinion of the INEC chairman with all due respect to his office.
“The extant provision of law is clear.
“When you postpone election it has happened before, the law says you are entitled to renew campaign up to 24 hours before the new date of the election.”
Oshiomole therefore, expressed the APC’s determination to continue with its campaigns, saying that the party expected a credible election devoid of malpractices on Saturday.
He said: “As a law abiding party we will proceed to re-energise our members to renew the campaign and encourage them to come out in huge numbers to vote APC.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that INEC’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, on February 16 announced the postponement of the 2019 presidential and NASS elections from February 16 to 23.
INEC while briefing stakeholders on the postponement also announced the closure of campaigns by political parties.