INEC to discuss 2015 elections timetable with parties -Jega

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, has said that the commission would organise discussion with registered political parties about the released 2015 timetable and the Ekiti and Osun elections, with a view to address the grey areas.

Speaking yesterday during a meeting with the political parties under the umbrella of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the INEC chairman, who was represented by a national commissioner, Thelma Iremirem, said the early release of the timetable was informed by the need to address the usual shortfalls and fire brigade approaches to any general election in the country.

On their part, the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), which is a coalition of registered political parties in the country, expressed worry over the change in the sequence of the 2015 general elections, as the INEC timetable indicated.

IPAC said the alteration of the election sequence from the previous three separate days for the election into the two days for the 2015 elections would not favour some political parties chances at the elections.

Chairman of IPAC, Yunusa Tanko made this known yesterday during an interaction with INEC on “Building Consensus on Electoral activities towards 2015” which held in Abuja.

“The political parties are worried about the sequence of the election which provide for a two face elections with the Presidential and National Assembly coming up first and the governorship state Assemblies, coming up next as against the past, which has three face elections.

“This provided opportunity for all political parties to have a chance of winning election. In that process, but with the present situation as the timetable released, immediately the presidential election is concluded it will close doors for other elections to be free and fair for all,” he said.