2019 Election: 30 political parties endorse NASS’ alteration of INEC timetable

…We are waiting for them -APC
By Bode Olagoke
Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the battle of wit between the major stakeholders seems to have began, even as the National Assembly is making moves to alter the electoral time table as released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the time table released by the commission, presidential, the Senate and the House of Representatives, comes up first on February 16, 2019 while the Governorship, State Assembly and Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory will follow on 2nd March 2019.
But in what appears to be a dissatisfaction with this arrangement, both Houses of the National Assembly are calling for the reversal, where the presidential election, specifically is held last.
The move has already generating reactions among the stakeholders. While the ruling party is asking for tne reasons behind the NASS’s plan to alter the time table, opposition political parties seem comfortable with the lawmakers.
We are waiting for them- APC
Speaking on the development, Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) Osita Okechuwu, who is an APC chieftain told Blueorint at the weekebd in Abuja that re-arranging the time table as released by INEC will be against what has been the practice since the nation returned to democracy in 1999.
“The INEC time table has been this way since we came back to the fourth republic. So, anybody who want to re-arrange it should let us know the high points, otherwise they are either misguided or something else but we need to wait to hear the reasons from them actually.
“What I’m saying is that whether they (NASS members) are rational  or misguided, with time we will know that because the day they will present it to Mr. President they will be able to explain to Mr. President the rational behind it. Remember that the leadership of the both Houses are in the same political party with ours so I don’t think we can speculate, so when they present it to the President we will know the reasons behind it whether they are misguided.”
When asked to know his advice for the electoral body, the APC chieftain said: “INEC has to go with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as ameended. They must follow the constitution and the laws of the National Assembly .
“Whatever National Assembly does can not become a law until Mr. President append his signature. If the move go down well with the majority of our party members no problem, otherwise to get the two third of the National Assembly to pass it into law is not a tea party. So, if their reason for changing the time table as released by INEC is not convincing we will all lobby the members of the National Assembly to drop the idea, dont forget that the majority of the lawmakers belong to APC. We are waiting to hear from them.”
ADP demands level playing ground
For the opposition Action Democratic Party (ADP), level playing ground should be given to all the party.
National Secretary of the party Dr. James Oroma, said Amendment of section 25 of the 2010 Electoral Act is in order.
“It is proper and timely. Election rigging begins with tinkering with the order of elections. What the National Assembly has done is to prevent band wagon effect once the Presidential election is held.
“et there be a level playing field for all the contestants. Any attempt to hold the Presidential election first will confer undue advantage on the incumbent. Amendment to section 25 of the 2010 Electoral Act is appropriate.”
SDP commends NASS members
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has, however, commended the National Assembly for the alteration on INEC’s time table, saying such move deserves commendation of all the stakeholders.
SDP National Publivuty Secretary Alfa Mohammed, described the time table as released by INEC as ‘oppressive.’
“The alteration made by the National Assembly to the election time table proposed by the INEC is reasonable and commendable.
“The INEC proposal is oppressive to the states and National Assembly aspirants because their supporters may be discouraged from coming out to vote in the subsequent elections if their preferred Governorship or presidential candidates fail to win the election. But voters will still turn out to vote in both Governorship and presidential elections irrespective of the time it is fixed because such candidates have the highest number of followers.”
According to Mohammed: “The undue advantage of the bandwagon effect that often follows the two superior elections to the disadvantages of popular legislative candidates would be avoided in new the arrangement.”
30 political parties reject INEC time table
About 30 political parties on the platform of Coalition for New Nigeria (CNN) has called on Nigerians to unite and vote out President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) come 2019.
While addressing a news conference on Wednesday, CNN Chairman, AbdulKarim Abdulsalam, who also the National Chairman of Labour Party (LP) said the order/schedule of National elections should be reversed.
The coalition suggested that “the States Assembly and National Assembly elections should be held on the 16th of February 2019 while the governorship and Presidential election should hold on the 2nd of March 2019 to forestall the negative influence of the bandwagon effect.
The  parties which include; National Conscience Party (NCP), Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA), Democratic People’s Congress (DPC) Labour Party (LP), People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN) and Action Alliance (AA). Others are; Alliance for Democracy (AD) Democratic People’s Party (DPP), People’s Democratic Change (PDC) and  Better Nigeria People’s Party (BNPP).
Others ncludes; National Action Council (NAC), United Democratic Party (UDP) and Democratic Alternative (DA) among others. The coalition was formed in June 2017.

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