No more campaigns, collection of PVCs — INEC

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

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure while fielding questions at the commissions meeting with stakeholders, on Saturday in Abuja.

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

Campaign closed on Thursday, Feb. 14, and for the period that remain campaign remained closed.

All the other process 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 suppose to open at 8a.m. and we took the decision at 2a.m, he said.

Yakubu while answering question on why the commission waited till about 3a.m on Saturday before postponing the elections, said that up till 2a.m the commission was still hopeful that elections would hold as scheduled.

On whether the commission has enough fund should the elections be postponed again, Yakubu said that INEC was not complaining, adding that the commission do not intend to postpone any of the elections again.

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