Party chair, Dr. Fredrick Fasheun
Members and supporters of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) had feared they would be excluded from state elections set for later this year in Ekiti and Osun, when it appeared party officials had missed a filing deadline. Those fears have been allayed, and party officials issued a press statement over the weekend to its members saying they have now agreed with the election commission’s time table that will allow them to participate.
The statement issued by the UPN’s National Secretary, Alhaji Bari Adedeji Salau, said in part “it had fulfilled all the necessary requirements for registration,” and had also expressed confidence that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would quickly issue the party with the necessary registration certificate that will enable its aspiring members to contest elections in the polls. The state elections are less than five months away.
“Everything that UPN should do, it has done,” the party statement said. In addition, the party statement also read, “The question to ask the INEC is: What is holding the UPN from registration because this inexplicable delay is causing fear and worry among the public?”
UPN officials said it will continue, “to maintain faith in INEC’s promise” to create a level democratic playing field for politicians of all shades and opinion to play politics and contest elections.
According to the INEC timetable, the first round of elections will be held this year on June 21st, with the Ekiti Gubernatorial Election, followed by the Osun Governorship poll, on August 9th.
Next year, the Federal elections open with Presidential and National Assembly elections, both slated for February 14th. While the state governorship and state houses of assembly polls come up two weeks later on February 28th.
There was a sharp reaction among UPN party members when the INEC timetable was published last week, mostly over fears they would be left out. Among those who shared that sentiment was the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Bari Salau, who said: “The release of the election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has put pressure on our members throughout the federation out of the fear that the Unity Party of Nigeria is yet to be registered.”
The party’s press release over the weekend may well have allayed fears in some quarters over the party potentially being ‘shut out’ of the June and August vote. “We want to assure all our members and prospective members,” Bari Salau said, “that by the grace of God, the Unity Party of Nigeria will be registered early enough for the party and its contestants to take part in all the coming elections.”
The party urged members nationwide in their weekend announcement, especially in the Osun and Ekiti states to “exercise patience” while the INEC processed the UPN registration.
“The task before the INEC is not easy,” Alhaji Bari Adedeji Salau, the party’s National Secretary said. “Many of the problems are caused by desperate politicians. But INEC, under the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega, has demonstrated a sense of purpose in all its transactions. We should encourage the Commission to do better. We therefore urge our members not to join the bandwagon of those who cause problems for the INEC, only to come back and blame the agency.”
According to Adedeji Salau, the UPN leadership was aware of recent cases of realignment among the already registered parties. The party statement also criticized “cross-carpeting” by those it referred to as political opportunists. Adedeji Salau said in a written statement that his party, “would not be deterred in its commitment to bringing the dividends of democracy to the common man.”
He said that as members of a legacy political party, UPN supporters must continue to maintain a principled stand on the operating philosophy and ideology first laid down in 1978 by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and other patriotic Nigerians.
UPN party officials in closing urged its members to continue, what they call, “the massive mobilization of Nigerians towards forming a formidable vehicle for liberating the citizens from poverty, corruption and bad government.”
No comments:
Post a Comment