PDP Reacts To INEC Extension Of Presidential Primary Election Deadline

The Peoples Democratic Party has criticised the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the deadline for party primary elections by six days.

Naija News had reported that INEC on Friday announced the extension of the deadline for political parties to conduct their presidential primary election.

The electoral body extended the deadline after massive pressure from political parties under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

Reacting to the development, the PDP slammed the electoral agency for extending the deadline after the main opposition party is ready to conduct its presidential primary.

In a chat with Channels Television on Friday, PDP spokesperson, Debo Ologungba, said INEC had changed the goalpost in the middle of the game.

He said this while speaking at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, where the PDP is scheduled to hold its special National Convention on Saturday.

The PDP spokesman stressed that the certainty of elections was the bedrock of democracy, adding that the consequences of the extension will be grave for the country.

He said: “The consequences will be grave for the country. And of course, we have to look at that.

“The bedrock of democracy is the certainty of elections and the fact that the rules are clear to every participant, and you cannot shift the goalpost in the middle of the game.”

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has called an emergency meeting to discuss the possible postponement of its convention scheduled for today, Saturday.

It was gathered that the main agenda of the meeting is the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the deadline for the conclusion of party primaries.

The PDP will during the meeting deliberate on if the extension will give the ruling All Progressives Congress an undue advantage in the presidential election next February.