We’re ready for Feb 16, 2019 presidential, National Assembly elections

THE ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its arch rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said on Friday that they are ready for the February 16, 2017 presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced the date of the elections on Thursday.

Reacting to the pronouncement of INEC, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said his party was comfortable with dates fixed by the electoral body and ready for the elections.

He said, “What is the work of the national secretariat of a political party other than to plan for elections. We are fully prepared; every time that is what we discuss. We don’t have any problem with the timetable as announced,” he told Saturday Tribune on phone.

Also reacting to the announcement in an interview with Saturday Tribune on Friday, spokesman of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said his party was ready and well positioned to win the coming elections.

“We are ready and prepared for the elections. APC’s low performance has really helped us. The PDP is well prepared. We thank God, after the Supreme Court judgement, the party has been repositioned.

“We are prepared for that February 16, 2019 election. Nigerians are yearning fopr better life which APC has shown it cannot provide,” Adeyeye said.

The INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who made the announcement of the election dates at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja, also said March 2, 2019 has been fixed for the governorship and state assembly elections.

The timetable for the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states coming up in 2018, Professor Yakubu said, would be promptly released.

According to him, the body has started preparations for the elections in the two states.

“The end-of-tenure governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states will be conducted next year. In keeping with the commission’s tradition of giving all stakeholders ample time to prepare, the timetable and schedule of activities for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections will be released on Thursday next week,” Yakubu said.

He added that INEC would today conduct by-election in Eti-Osa state constituency in Lagos State.

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