Laleye Dipo inMinna
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told all the registered political parties in Niger State to stop organising political campaigns, saying that doing so contravenes the electoral act 2010.
INEC said in a statement weekend that it had to remind the political parties of the regulation because its (Commission’s) attention “has been drawn to the commencement of electioneering campaigns by political parties in breach of the electoral law”.
In the last couple of weeks the two leading political parties in the state had held rallies in Minna, Agaie and Paiko with hundreds of their supporters in attendance.
The statement personally signed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner Professor Samuel Egwu said ” the commission urges the political parties and apirants to stop forth with public campaigns as the Commission, adding that commission through the Department of Election and political Party Monitoring is tracking the illegal activities of partiesand candidates for appropriate sanctions “The Commission will further draw the attention of political parties and other stake holders to the fact that elections are rule based game and that strict compliance with the law is important in advancing and deepening Nigeria’s electoral democracy”
