· APC, PDP, LP, NNPP declare set for polls
· Presidential candidates sign peace accord in Abuja
As Nigerians get set to elect new leaders at the weekend, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the four major political parties in the race have declared readiness for the polls, which hold on Saturday, February 15, 2015.
About 18 registered political parties are expected to field candidates for the presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections, and INEC has, in fulfillment of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended, published the list of all candidates cleared and nominated by their political parties for the polls.
However, some smaller political parties who had earlier listed candidates for the presidential polls, in a sharp u-turn announced the adoption of candidates of other leading parties ahead of the polls.
While the Boot Party had collapsed its structure with the Labour Party, crisis erupted in the African Democratic Party (ADP), as three factions of the party in separate occasions, announced endorsement for the LP, PDP and APC presidential candidates, even as its original candidate, Dumebi Kachichukwu has insisted he is still in the race.
The Allied Peoples Mandate (APM) in the same vein, announced the endorsement of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar as against its own Princess Chichi Ojei, who has also rejected the endorsement.
Declaring the commission’s readiness for the polls, Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, says the presidential election date remains February 25 and will not be moved for any reasons.
Yakubu, who spoke on Wednesday at the signing of the national peace accord by presidential candidates at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja, said the commission is ready for the presidential and national assembly elections, adding it has commenced the distribution of sensitive materials to the various state offices of the commission, as well as other federal government agencies for safety.
“I want to, first of all, appreciate the untiring efforts of the National Peace Committee for convening this important event,” he said.
“This is the third peace accord to be signed by political parties and candidates on the eve of a general election in Nigeria since 2015, and the ninth overall, if we include the accord signed before the commencement of electioneering campaign in September last year and ahead of five off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo in 2020, Anambra in 2021, Ekiti and Osun states in 2022.
“The signing of the peace accord today comes at a critical moment in the electoral calendar. Campaign for presidential and national assembly elections ends at midnight tomorrow, Thursday, 23rd February, 2023. Election will hold on Saturday this week. INEC is ready.
“This morning, we commenced the movement of sensitive materials to the various local government areas nationwide. By Friday, we will activate the registration area centres, so that at first light on Saturday, polling units will open on time.
“The commission is committed to free, fair, and credible elections in compliance with the electoral framework and the spirit of the peace accord.
“All political parties and candidates are hereby reassured of the commission’s neutrality. INEC is not a political party. We have no candidate in the election. Our allegiance is to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and our loyalty is to Nigerians. Therefore, Nigerians should feel confident that their votes will count.”
Speaking in the same way, National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure has declared that the LP has completed all rounds of preparedness ahead of the polls.
Abure, who spoke while briefing the media on the party’s activities ahead of the polls, expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to conduct a free, credible and hitch free elections.
“As a political party, we are set for the elections on Saturday. We have confidence in the military. They have assured us that the country is safe and the election must hold. My plea to our respected supporters who are the voters is that they should troop out en masse on Saturday and vote massively for our candidate, Peter Obi who is the best candidate. They should not be afraid. They have their PVCs so they should utilize them and decide the future of our country.
“We have confidence in INEC. The INEC Chairman has been very open in the process of the election. The INEC has continued to assure us of their readiness to conduct the election that will pave way for a new Nigeria that every citizen will be proud of and we have no reason to doubt them because what they have put on ground is a testimony but all we are saying is that they should remain resolute and conduct elections all of us will be proud of. By so doing, our candidate, Peter Obi who is the best candidate with all the qualities Nigerians are clamouring for will be at the Presidential Aso Rock Villa come May 29.”
Abure charged LP supporters to no only come out enmass to cast their voes for the party’s candidates, but to also see themselves as the pary’s agent in every polling unit the voted
All our supporters should know they are also our agents at every polling units and should therefore vote and defend the votes. Don’t leave it in the hands of accredited agents alone. If the supporters fail to vote and defend their votes then it amounts that we have laboured in vain,” he charged.
In a separate media briefing to declare its readiness for the election, the National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Professor Ahmed Rufai Alkali, said the party is fully prepared to play the leadership role that will be assigned to it by Nigerian voters on Saturday
Alkali said the NNPP has toured all parts of the country taking its message to the voters, adding that presidential candidate, Musa Kwakwanso remains the only person that had to transverse the entire country by road to solicit for votes while others were busy flying.
“We are fully prepared to lead Nigerians, they know us and we know them, all they need is to elect a healthy leader” he said.
On whether the NNPP has not come as vote spoiler for other parties, Alkali said, “it very wrong for anyone to look at NNPP as vote spoilers for others, but if that is what people think, then we have come to spoil for those who don’t mean well for the country”
He maintained that Kwakwanso has an unmatched credentials when compared to other candidates, saying that there must be total and complete shift from present “situation we find ourselves as Nigerians.”
Meanwhile presidential candidates from 18 political parties on Wednesday, signed a peace accord ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, where they pledged to abide by all the rules guiding the conduct of the poll.
The Peace accord signing was witnessed by President Muhammadu Buhari, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), as well as former South African President, Mr Thabo Mbeki, and was coordinated and initiated by former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) and Bishop Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah.
Some of the leading candidates who signed the peace accord included Bola Tinubu (All Progressives Congress, APC), Peter Obi (Labour Party, LP), Omoyele Sowore (African Action Congress, AAC), Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP).