No more political campaign, collection of PVCs

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said there is no more room for political campaign or collection of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in spite of the postponement of elections by one week.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this on Saturday in Abuja while fielding questions at the meeting with political parties and other stakeholders.

Yakubu said that the deadline for the collection of PVCs and elections campaign by political parties according to the election timetable has passed.

“Campaign closed on Thursday, Feb. 14, and for the period that remains campaigns remain closed.

“All the other processes that remain in the main timetable remain closed, including the collection of PVC, except the conduct of the elections,” he said.

On why the commission did not consult party leaders before adjusting the dates of the elections, Yakubu said that it was due to the urgency and that Section 36 of the Electoral Act empowered the commission to do so.

“We have to take a decision and communicate because polls were supposed to open at 8a.m. and we took the decision at 2a.m,” he said.

Until then, Yakubu said, INEC was hopeful that elections would hold as scheduled.

On whether the commission has enough fund should the elections be postponed again, Yakubu said that INEC is not complaining, adding that the commission does not intend to postpone any other election.

On request for compensation to political parties for the change in dates, Yakubu said that INEC did not finance parties.