26 political parties insist on February polls

By Ahmed Abubakar

Twenty six registered political parties in the country yesterday pleaded with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to consider calls to postpone the February polls but remain dogged by the election time-table.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja yesterday at the quarterly meeting of INEC with the leadership of the registered political parties ahead of the general elections, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (PAC), Dr Yunusa Tanko said all the political parties and the electoral body fully prepared for the February 14th polls and there was no reason whatsoever to clamour for its postponement in whatever guise.

Dr Tanko disclosed that already all the registered political parties were already on the field in all the nooks and crannies of the country canvassing for votes while a lot of human and material resources had been committed towards having successful elections next month in the country.

According to him, “as we speak INEC has not come out to tell us that the elections will be shifted, INEC has been carrying the registered political parties along in all the preparations for the February polls, though there may be challenges in the area of distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), that is not enough to postpone the elections, to us it remains mere agitation and we are not in support of the idea.”

Dr Tanko however urged INEC to approach the federal government for possible declaration of public holiday to enable all eligible voters who were yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the elections which would be more honourable than postponing the elections under the pretext of non collection of PVCs.

Speaking earlier while declaring open the meeting, Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega who said that the commission was ready to conduct free, fair and credible elections come next month, pleaded with all stakeholders to cooperate and support the commission towards that direction.

Jega who admitted that the commission was having challenges in the area of the distribution of PVCs, pleaded with all eligible voters who were yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the general election and insisted nobody would be allowed to cast his or her vote without the PVC.

He stated that the commission decided to make use of the PVCs as it would assist in eliminating electoral malpractices to the barest minimum and would make the polls more credible.