Don’t postpone forthcoming elections, 18 registered parties tell INEC

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has been cautioned against the postponement of the forthcoming general election.
The warning was sounded by the Inter Party Advisory Committee, IPAC, an umbrella body for the eighteen registered political parties in the country, at a meeting between INEC and the paries on Monday in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the registered political parties at a meeting with INEC on Monday in Abuja, the National Chairman of IPAC, Engineer Yabagi Yusuf Sani maintained that under no circumstance should the forthcoming general elections be postponed.
While the presidential and National Assembly elections are slated to hold on Saturday, February 25, the Governorship and State Assembly elections are billed for March 11, this year.
In his response, after listening to the remarks by the INEC Chairman, Engineer Sani said, ‘Mr. Chairman (Prof Mahmood Yakubu),under no circumstances should this election be postponed.
“The 2023 general elections seemingly will be a watershed in the history of elections in Nigeria. Today, the tide has changed, because an unknown Party could pull a surprise to the greatest chagrin of all.
“From this point of view, it is necessary to advise INEC to keep its date with history which must not be wasted.
“INEC should create a golden niche for herself especially the Chairman who has become the child of history, Nigerians are watching, the international community is watching and the Parties are palpitating:
“I therefore call on all Nigerians of good conscience to take credible results of the election the way it is.
“At worse, parties should resort to the law court for adjudication. Today it is an abhorrence and crudity if not savagery to see States Governors denying campaign venues to political parties other than their own. This is crude, primitive and uncivilized”, he said.
He restated the continual commitment of IPAC to the long standing cooperation and mutually beneficial relationship between it and INEC .
His words, “Going further, I wish to firstly reiterate the continual commitment of IPAC to the long standing cooperation and mutually beneficial relationship between us and INEC.
“I want to use this occasion to also reaffirm the confidence of IPAC in the leadership of INEC for its consistent demonstration of diligence, uncommon zeal and patriotism in the pursuit of the agencies statutory mandate
“On the basis of our evaluation that INEC has been well on track, the leadership of IPAC additionally wishes to use this occasion to commend, the efforts of INEC in confronting the extraordinary environmental challenges occasioned by naira redesign and fuel scarcity through Mr. Chairman’s visit to the relevant agencies”, he said.