INEC approves continuation of election campaigns

INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu

INEC approves continuation of election campaigns

The electoral commission, INEC, has approved that campaigns continue ahead of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

The elections were rescheduled early last Saturday hours before they were to commence. The presidential and National Assembly elections were shifted to February 23 while the state elections were shifted to March 9.

BABANEWSLINE reported how the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, gave reasons for the postponement of elections to include problems with distribution of materials across the country.

During his press briefing on Saturday, Mr Yakubu also said campaigns, which had ended a day to last Saturday based on the electoral law, remained suspended.

His announcement has since been criticised by the two leading political parties, APC and PDP.

Both parties said that campaigns should end a day before the elections, based on the electoral law. Since the elections now hold on February 23, the campaigns should continue to midnight on Thursday, they argued.

INEC on Monday evening announced a shift in its stance.

INEC said it consulted with political parties and has “approved that campaigns by parties and candidates can resume forthwith to end by midnight of Thursday, 21st February 2019.”

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