Seventeen out of the 28 registered political parties have asked the
Independent National Electoral Commission to shift the conduct
of the general elections scheduled for February 14 and 28.
The parties canvassed the position at a consultative meeting with
INEC, which ended a few hours ago at the commission’s
headquarters in Abuja.
INEC had on Friday announced that it would hold consultative
meetings with all relevant bodies, including the political parties,
civil society organisations and the resident electoral
commissioners.
A source at the meeting told PREMIUM TIMES that leaders of 12
others, including the leading opposition party, All Progressives
Congress, stoutly opposed their colleagues who were demanding
the shift of the election.
This newspaper gathered that the 17 parties cited the shoddy
manner the commission handled the distribution of the
Permanent Voters Card, PVCs, and the security challenges in some
parts of the country, notably the north east, as its major reasons
for calling for the postponement of the polls.
Our source said the manner the parties argued their position
clearly indicated that certain elements have reached out to them
asking them to support that line of argument.
It could not however be established if they were offered money to
do so.
Asked the thinking and body language of INEC officials during
the discussion, the source, who is a leader of one of the
opposition parties, said “their (INEC officials) body language
suggest they want the postponement but are looking for
something to hold on to”.
He added, “I think they have been told by the security agencies
that they will not provide security and so these consultations are
merely being held to justify what they plan to do.”
Efforts to reach Yunusa Tanko, who is the Chairman of Interparty
Advisory Council, IPAC, the umbrella body of all political parties
which serves as advisory body to INEC, were not successful.
INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, had on Thursday briefed the
Council of States chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan, on the
commission’s preparation for the polls.
The council asked the commission to proceed with the polls, but
should seek further consultations with other relevant bodies
before taking a final decision on the matter.
Mr. Jonathan is the candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party, one of the parties in favour of poll shift.
The Presidency, through the special assistant to the president on
public affairs, Doyin Okupe, had also on Friday canvassed the
postponement of the elections.
Last Wednesday, 16 parties addressed a press conference during
which they called for postponement.
The parties are The parties are United Democratic Party, UDP; the
Citizen Peoples Party, CPP; the Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN; the
Action Alliance, AA; the Peoples Democratic Congress, PDC; the
Labour Party, LP; Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN; Alliance for
Democracy, AD; New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP; and the
Independent Democrat, ID.
Others are Advanced Congress of Democrats, ACD; Allied Congress
Party of Nigeria, ACPN; Fresh Democratic Party, FDP; National
Conscience Party, NCP; All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA;
and Progressives Peoples Alliance, PPA.
The following day, 10 others rejected the calling, expressing shock
at the demand of their colleagues.
The parties are the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM; African
Peoples Alliance, APA; Kowa Party; Mega Progressives Peoples
Party, MPPP; Social Democratic Party, SDP; African Democratic
Congress, ADC; Hope Democratic Party, HDP; Democratic Peoples
Party, DPP; United Progressives Party, UPP; Accord Party, AP.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC,
John Oyegun, also addressed a press conference rejecting calls for
the postponement.
The spokesperson of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation,
PDPPCO, Femi Fani-Kayode, also briefed the media during which
he said the party was not pushing for poll shift as being alleged
in some quarters.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/176417-17-parties-demand-poll-shift-meeting-inec.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

PDP parties?

All these because of fear of losing election

Surely they will lose.

Death to PDP.
Sai Buhari!!! I wish you the best.

Long story. They should tell us the exact dates for the elections.

It is easier for pdp to lose the election than to postpone it.
The way you place ur bed so u shall 'lie' on it. Pdp created this non-working system; they make our institutions like INEC not work as they should and they are trying to run away from it in times like this.
Thunda faya pdp!

excell12go:
And some mofos will keep saying GEJ is responsible for the poll shift. 17 out of 28 political parties called for the shift...that's about 61%.

without bias did u not read a trend ths morning that said pdp to bribe parties to call 4 prosponment. The other parties apga etc are just branch of pdp put in place to bid the doing of pdp at crucial point

excell12go:
And some mofos will keep saying GEJ is responsible for the poll shift. 17 out of 28 political parties called for the shift...that's about 61%.

60.715%. U r correct! Majority feel same!

9jvirgin:
All these because of fear of losing election

Surely they will lose.

Death to PDP.
Sai Buhari!!! I wish you the best.

DEATH TO APC
SAI JONATHAN