Exactly eight days to the rescheduled governorship polls, some political parties are again pushing for a shift in the election.
It was learnt that four political parties had written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking that the polls be shifted to October 8.
Among the parties is the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), whose candidate, Osaro Onaiwu had said he would prefer a shift to either October 1 or 8.
Others included the African Congress
of Democrats (ACD), the People for Democratic Change (PDC), the Alliance
Congress Party of Nigeria (APPN) and KOWA.
The INEC spokeswoman, Mrs.
Priscillia Imoudu-Sule confirmed the development tyesterday.
She said: “We received a letter from
four political parties asking for a shift, but that is not our duty. So we have
forwarded the letter to the headquarters in Abuja, while we continue our preparation
for the election fixed for September 28th.”
It was learnt that some other
parties, which complained of inadequate funds wanted the date brought backward
to September 24.
Meanwhile, a pro-Obaseki group, The
Green Movement, has restated that the recent arrest of 54 suspected militants
has justified the election’s postponement.
The group, in a release by its
coordinator Mr. Felix Akeme, said the joint action by the security agents
to postpone the election “actually saved the state from bloodbath.”
Stating, “Eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty,” the group urged the public to be vigilant and report
suspicious movement to the law enforcement agents.
It tasked the security agents to “be
up to their constitutional responsibilities.”
However, amid the fresh calls for a
shift, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) yesterday reassured its
members that it would participate in the rescheduled polls on September 28
date.
APGA’s Director of Publicity, Mr.
Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, spoke in a telephone interview with the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Source:The Guradian
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Politics