UPDATE: Feel free to renew your campaigns, INEC tells political parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission (lNEC) on Monday approved the extension of campaigns by political parties ahead of the rescheduled date for presidential and national assembly elections to hold on Saturday.

The Commission in a statement released last night disclosed that “after consultations with political parties. the Commission has approved that campaigns by parties and candidates can resume forthwith to end by midnight of Thursday, let February 2019.”

The statement read in part: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (lNEC) met on Monday 18th February 2019 and reviewed its preparations for the 2019 General Elections re-scheduled for Saturday, 23rd February 2019 for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections and Saturday, 9th March 20l9 for Governorship, State Assembly and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections.

“It would be recalled that at the briefing held on Saturday, 16th February 2019 at the Abuja International Conference Centre (AlCC). the Commission gave reasons for re-scheduling the polls and released a new Schedule of Activities leading up to the elections.

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“The Commission has also worked out in detail, concrete steps to be taken to ensure that election materials arrive at the polling units in good time for prompt commencement of the polls on Saturday, 23rd February 2019. An update will be provided by the Commission at a press conference on Tuesday, 19th February at the Abuja International Conference Centre by3 pm.

“In the meantime, after consultations with political parties. the Commission has approved that campaigns by parties and candidates can resume forthwith to end by midnight of Thursday, 21st February 2019.”