Opposition may boycott poll
2006-06-28 22:31
Abuja - A group of Nigerian opposition parties on Wednesday threatened to boycott the presidential and general elections scheduled for April next year.
The chair of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) coalition, Balarabe Musa, said the group had a strong objection to the present composition of the electoral agency, the independent national electoral commission (INEC).
"The membership of the CNPP is resolute in the decision not to participate in an election that is conducted by INEC as currently constituted and especially under the current programme of elections as announced," Musa said.
Musa, a former civilian governor of northern Kaduna State, said the INEC national chair, Maurice Iwu, was "totally incapable" of conducting a free and fair election in 2007 "by reason of his known relationship with core members of the ruling party and functionaries of the government".
Time frame
Musa also said his group was opposed to the election time frame announced by INEC, which said that the polls would be held within 60 days of the handover date fixed for May 29 2007.
He said that "the current membership of INEC must be disbanded and a new membership appointed" as a condition for the participation of the CNPP in the 2007 polls.
Musa also called for the immediate release of the election fund to INEC by government and the conduct of presidential elections not less than four months before May 29.
"If these minimum demands are not met, CNPP shall embark on a mass mobilisation of the Nigerian people to oppose the results of any election that may be purportedly conducted by the INEC as currently constituted," he said.
Iwu had explained that INEC was guided by the constitution in announcing the time frame of between April 7 and 28 2007, adding that to do otherwise was illegal.