ANPP Commends INEC On Decision To Hold Elections In One Day

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) on Friday commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on plans to hold elections in the country in one day, after 2015 general elections.

A statement issued in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Emma Eneukwu, said conducting the elections in one day would address some of the challenges facing the nation’s electoral system.

“ We are encouraged by this welcome development, though we wonder why we should wait till 2015 to start reaping   the benefits of this historic electoral policy.”

The ANPP said that “with free and fair elections, problems facing our great nation shall be solved and we will begin to excel.

“ It is on record that our great party, under the leadership of Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, was the first to call for all elections to be held in one day, to save cost and guarantee better participation.

“For example, some people that may only want to vote for a particular presidential candidate will now be made to vote for other contestants in other positions.”

It added that when massive number of citizens turned out to vote, it would be very difficult to rig or manipulate the electoral process.

The party believed that such method of election would also erase bandwagon effects that always threaten the stability of the polity.

It called on the National Assembly to use the opportunity of the constitution review to consider other suggestions on how to achieve free and fair elections.

“We want a situation where after elections, all matters concerning the electoral litigations would have been solved and concluded before swearing-in.

“ We envisage that this will stop unnecessary advantage being enjoyed by the incumbent, as they use the resources and powers of government to executive their electoral litigations, thereby heating up the polity.”

The ANPP urged politicians to move away from politics of personality to issues-based and ideas-driven-politics as obtained in many developed countries.

“ As a party, we believe that Nigeria has all it takes to become the giant we are destined to be.”