NIGERIAN POLITICAL PARTIES AMBUSH INEC AHEAD OF 2019 ELECTION.
Some political parties in Nigeria
acting under the platform of the Inter- Party Advisory Council (IPAC) have
ambushed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with a seemingly
huge demand ahead of the 2019 general election.
The conglomeration of political
parties totaling 25 in number and acting through IPAC, has asked INEC to review
and amend the 2010 Electoral Act before the 2019 polls. IPAC made the demand on
Wednesday, 8th March, 2017 with a view to ensuring that democracy in
Nigeria is solidified.
According to the National Chairman
of IPAC, Muhammad Naldo, who spoke on behalf of the Council at a press briefing
after IPAC’s emergency meeting held at the National Secretariat of the Accord
Party in Abuja, said thus:
“We have 25 political parties here endorsing this
resolution. IPAC is calling on the constitutional and electoral committees to
work assiduously with the National Assembly to ensure effective and prompt
amendments to the 2010 Electoral Act before the 2019 general election.
“We are making these demands because we want our democracy
to be well protected. All those grey areas that have been very controversial
and creating confusion should be addressed, including party supremacy. Let political
parties be responsible for the nomination of candidates for election.
“We are also recommending the scraping of SIECs to
allow a level-playing field for all political parties to participate in
elections…The SIECs is not independent. So, we want an independent electoral
umpire to conduct elections at state and Local Government levels.”
The political parties include the
Labour Party, Progressive People’s Alliance, Allied Congress Party of Nigeria,
Accord Party, African Democratic Congress, Democratic People’s Congress,
National Conscience Party and Progressive People’s Alliance, among others.
The parties also commended INEC for
the step it has taken to discipline erring officials involved in irregularities,
corruption and malpractices in the country.
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