Nigeria parties to ignore ban on campaigning

20th Feb 2019 | Source: BBC

The two main parties contesting Nigeria's controversy-hit presidential and parliament election say they will resume campaigning, despite the election commission saying this is not allowed ahead of the rescheduled vote on Saturday.

President Muhammadu Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) disagreed with the "illegal pronouncement" of the commission, party chairman Adams Oshiomhole said.

The APC would end its campaign at midnight on Thursday, "as provided for by the Electoral Act", Mr Oshiomhole added.He was speaking after a crisis meeting of the party to discuss the commission's dramatic postponement of the elections about five hours before polls were due to open on Saturday, 16 February.

The main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) also indicated that it would resume campaigning.The commission's prohibition of campaigning was "erroneous", and "directly in conflict "with the Electoral Act", the PDP said in a statement.

Former Vice-President Atikau Abubakar is Mr Buhari's main challenger in the presidential race.