INEC told PDP before postponing elections, Oshiomhole exposes Nigeria’s electoral umpire colluding with opposition

*Says conversation, messages between INEC, PDP confirm claims

*Announces APC’s plan to renew campaigns ahead rescheduled polls

The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), National Chairman, has revealed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) colluded with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as, according to him, the INEC informed the PDP before it shifted the elections last Saturday by one week.

“We remain curious and to that extent we are very suspicious of the leadership of the INEC,” Oshiomhole said, adding that it was very clear to his party that the PDP and its presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar were aware before the postponement, which he said was confirmed by some of the conversations they had and some of the messages they passed across between themselves.

“We are asking INEC to explain to us how is it that President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces did not have information that elections would be postponed and yet opposition PDP has such information.”

Oshiomhole, who stated this on Monday at the party’s National Caucus meeting held at the party’s National Secretariat Abuja, said the party was set to renew its electioneering campaigns ahead of the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The APC chairman said that the embargo placed on campaigns by INEC will not stand since the commission postponed the elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had early on Saturday February 16 announced the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections by a week.

The APC national chairman said, “We have called this meeting to give our people hope and renew our commitment to democracy, and to a free and fair elections”.

He said that the decision of INEC to amend the law through administrative pronouncement by putting embargo on campaigns would not stand.

Oshiomhole said INEC was not in the position to make laws, noting that laws made by the country’s parliament were superior to the opinions of INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

“The extant provision of the law is clear, when you postpone elections, it had happened before, the law says you are entitled to renew campaigns up to 24 hours before the date of the elections.

“The law did not say you would stop campaigns on the 15th of February regardless of when the elections will actually take place.

“Therefore, as a law-abiding party, we will proceed to energise our members to renew campaigns and to urge them to come out en masse,” Oshiomhole said.

He noted that with the postponement of the elections, voter apathy could result.

This, he said, was not good for a party that had huge support base, saying that it could only be good for a party that was not sure of its level of grassroots support.

Oshiomhole stressed that this was the main reason the party had to renew its campaigns ahead of the elections.

“So, without consulting INEC, we are proceeding and we are ready to meet them in court because they cannot by administrative fiat amend or distort extant provisions in electoral Act,” he said.

The APC national chairman, said there was need for the party to remind its members across the country that elections had been rescheduled, urging them to have trust and faith in it and be determined to exercise their franchise.

He maintained that the process of doing that would require returning to campaigns between now and Thursday.

He, however, said there was need for the INEC chairman to brief the party and other stakeholders daily on its preparations ahead of the elections as rescheduled.

“Having violated the people’s confidence, INEC must now work to earn the confidence of the people, while APC will write INEC to meet with its leadership to discuss the way forward,” the national chairman said.

Oshiomhole said that contrary to speculations, the APC was not working to have a staggered elections.

“We want a nationwide elections, same time, same day all over the country. So, INEC needs to brief us on the basis of this.

“We must not allow this last minute shock to demoralise our members.

“We need to renew the campaign, renew the assurance and renew the confidence that next time, this election will take place,” he said.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari as the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to ensure that any institution of State or individual that compromises the country’s democracy is dealt with.

“Mr President, you have a duty to trigger the process that will compel everyone involved in all of these to account.

“We cannot be helpless because at the end of the day, all fingers will point at you even as innocent as you are,” he said.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had few hours to the commencement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections announced the rescheduling of the exercises by one week.

By the postponement, the Presidential and National Assembly elections now come up on Feb. 23, while the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections would hold on March 9.

Yakubu had said the decision to postpone the elections was taken after a meeting with INEC Commissioners, citing “logistics’’ problems as issues that prompted the postponement.

He said the decision was further necessitated after reviewing the level of the commission’s preparedness for the exercise.

The INEC chairman stressed that postponing the elections was a difficult decision, but was necessary for successful delivery of the elections and to consolidate on Nigeria’s democracy.