THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday dared the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its directive, banning all political campaigns in the postponed Presidential and National Assembly polls as it vowed to reopen its open campaign activities nationwide immediately. It rejected what it described as “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”. ALSO READ: Election postponement: Oyo schools resume Tuesday, to observe two…“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.”It reminded INEC that whenever its administrative pronouncement conflicts with the Electoral Act, such administrative pronouncement must bow before the law. The party charged INEC to be appropriately guided while directing its members to await further directives ahead of its reopening of campaigns. The Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu had focused further Campaigns and collection of PVCs following the shift of the Polls.

Source: Nigerian Tribune February 18, 2019 14:03 UTC