16 political parties urge INEC to shift election

‎Sixteen political parties have asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delay the general election by six weeks.

About 28 political parties met with Attahiru Je‎ga, INEC chairman on Saturday.

Some of the parties that called for the postponement are United Democratic Party, the Citizen Peoples Party, the Peoples Party of Nigeria, Action Alliance, Peoples Democratic Congress, Labour Party, Unity Party of Nigeria, Alliance for Democracy, Democratic Peoples Party, the New Nigerian Peoples Party and the Independent Democrat.

Peter Ameh, secretary general of the Inter Party Advisory Council, made the disclosure of the political parties to journalists.

He said only nine political parties were asking for the elections proceed as currently scheduled.

According to him, two political parties were neutral. However, he did not name the political parties.

Also, speaking to journalists, Bashir Yusuf, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Movement, who leads a coalition of po‎litical parties opposed to the postponement of the elections, disclosed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) maintained that the elections should take place.

In addition, Wale Oladipo, the national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, said that the party would adhere to whatever decision INEC took.

Meanwhile, Jega in his opening remarks at the meeting, said: “The main purpose of calling for this meeting is to update you on our preparation for the 2015 general election, and in particular draw your attention to some new developments as to how the commission should address this new development.”