February 17, 2019
Press Statement
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after due consideration of the
provision of the Electoral Act, is set to reopen its open campaigns
consequent upon the postponement of Presidential and National Assembly
elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from
the earlier scheduled date of February 16 to February 23, 2019.
The party rejects the 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.
Our position is predicated on the clear provision of section 99 (1) of
the Electoral Act which stipulated that “for the purposes of this Act,
the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall
commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day”.
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.
The PDP reminds INEC that whenever its administrative pronouncement
conflicts with the Electoral Act, such administrative pronouncement must
bow before the law. The party charges INEC to be appropriately guided
while directing its members to await further directives ahead of its
reopening of campaigns.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
And
Director, Media & Publicity
PDP Presidential Campaign Organization
