INEC okays resumption of political campaigns

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given a go-ahead to political parties to resume their campaigns.

INEC had earlier announced that there is no more room for campaigns after it postponed the general elections.

The electoral body cited logistic challenges and bad weather as the reasons for moving the dates.

INEC, in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye also said that campaigns will stop on Thursday, February 21, 2019.

Read the full statement below:

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met on Monday 18th February 2019 and reviewed its preparations for the 2019 General Elections re-scheduled for Saturday, 23rd February 2019 for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections and Saturday, 9th March 2019 for Governorship, State Assembly and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections. 

It would be recalled that at the briefing held on Saturday, 16th February 2019 at the Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC), the Commission gave reasons for re-scheduling the polls and released a new Schedule of Activities leading up to the elections. 

The Commission has also worked out in detail, concrete steps to be taken to ensure that election materials arrive at the polling units in good time for prompt commencement of the polls on Saturday, 23rd February 2019. An update will be provided by the Commission at a press conference on Tuesday, 19th February at the Abuja International Conference Centre by 3pm. 

INEC staff setting up a polling booth

In the meantime, after consultations with political parties, the Commission has approved that campaigns by parties and candidates can resume forthwith to end by midnight of Thursday, 21st February 2019.

Media organisations are at liberty to accept, publish, broadcast and circulate campaign materials up till midnight of Thursday, 21st February 2019. Political Parties and their candidates are enjoined to abide by the extant laws governing campaigns. 

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The Commission wishes to thank all Nigerians for their understanding regarding the rescheduling of the elections. We appeal to stakeholders to be dispassionate and circumspect in their comments. The Commission is focusing on the elections to be held on 23° February and 9′ March to ensure that they are free, fair and credible. We urge all Nigerians to participate fully in the elections, notwithstanding the disappointment.

The All progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier threatened to resume their campaigns following the postponement of the elections.

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