INEC faces fresh trouble, 40 parties opt out of Monday poll

The Nation

3 April 2011

INEC faces fresh trouble, 40 parties opt out of Monday poll

A pall of uncertainty yesterday surrounded today’s rescheduled National Assembly elections as about 40 out of 63 political parties have opted out of the poll.

The parties met in Abuja and asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to forget the conduct of the poll today.

But the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, summoned a fire brigade consultative meeting with the parties and the talks were in progress as at press time.

Before the meeting with Jega, the parties had held a session at NICON Luxury Hotel Abuja under the auspices of Inter-Party Advisory Council.

The session faulted Jega’s alleged arbitrary rescheduling of the National Assembly poll and resolved that Monday is unrealistic.

In a communiqué, signed by IPAC Chairman, Chief Osita Okereke and Secretary, Alhaji Shittu Mohammed, they alleged that about 15million ballot papers had been used in three states on Saturday and they might be difficult for INEC to replace within 24 hours.

The communiqué reads: ... read rest