DON’T POSTPONE ELECTIONS, 26 REGISTERED POLITICAL PARTIES TELL INEC

THE 26 registered political parties in the country on Tuesday, pleaded with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to postpone the forthcoming general election slated for next month as being agitated in some quarters, over the inability of categories of eligible registered voters to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, on Tuesday at the quarterly meeting of INEC with the leadership of the registered political parties ahead the general election, chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr Yunusa Tanko declared that all the political parties and the electoral body were ready and fully prepared for the polls and there was no reason for any postponement in whatever guise.
Dr Tanko disclosed that, all the registered political parties were already on the field in all the nooks and crannies of the country canvassing for votes, while a lot of human and material resources had been committed towards having successful elections next month in the country.
According to him, “as we speak INEC has not come out to tell us that the elections will be shifted, as INEC has been carrying the registered political parties along in all the preparations for the February polls. Though there may be challenges in the area of distribution of PVCs, that is not enough to postpone the election. To us, it remains agitation and we are not in support of the idea.”
Dr Tanko, however, urged INEC to approach the Federal Government for possible declaration of public holiday to enable all eligible voters, who were yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the elections, which would be more honourable than postponing on the pretext on non-collection of PVCs.
Speaking on the pockets of political violence trailing the campaigns of the leading political parties in the country despite the Abuja peace accord signed by their leaders, Dr Tanko said that IPAC condemned the violence acts in strong terms and hinted that a committee had been set up to monitor closely all the political parties.
He also said that the IPAC would not hesitate to take legal action against defaulting political parties and their members.
Speaking earlier while declaring the meeting, the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, who said the commission was ready to conduct free, fair and credible elections come next month, pleaded with all stakeholders to cooperate and support the commission.
Jega, who admitted that the commission was having challenges in the area of the distribution of PVCs, pleaded with all eligible voters who were yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the general election and insisted nobody would be allowed to cast his or her vote without the PVC.
He stated that the commission decided to make use of the PVCs, as it would assist in eliminating electoral malpractices to the barest minimum and would make the polls more credible. 
Source: Tribune