2015: UPN jittery as INEC still refuses to register party

Juliana Francis

The Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) has become jittery following the presentation of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) time table for the forthcoming coming elections, even as INEC for reasons yet unknown still has not registered the party.

In a press release made available to New Telegraph and signed by party National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Bari Adedeji Salau, the party said it had fulfilled all necessary requirements for registration, and expressed confidence that the INEC would quickly issue UPN with the registration certificate to enable aspiring members contest in the polls.

This was even as the party chieftains attempted to allay fears of its members, who worried that the organisation may be registered too late to take part in the elections slated to hold in Ekiti and Osun states later in the year.

Salau stated: “Everything that UPN should do, it has done. The question to ask INEC is: What is holding the UPN from registration because this inexplicable delay is causing fear and worry among the public?”

According to the INEC timetable, the first round of elections will hold this year on June 21 with the Ekiti Gubernatorial Election, followed by the Osun Governorship poll on August 9.

Next year, the Federal elections open with Presidential and National Assembly elections slated for February 14, while the state governorship and state houses of assembly polls come up a fortnight later on February 28.

 “We want to assure all our members and prospective members that by the grace of God the Unity Party of Nigeria will be registered early enough for the party and its contestants to take part in all the coming elections, “said Salau.  “The task before INEC is not easy. Many of the problems are caused by desperate politicians. But INEC, under the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega, has demonstrated a sense of purpose in all its transactions. We should encourage the Commission to do better. We therefore urge our members not to join the bandwagon of those who cause problems for the INEC only to come back and blame the agency.”

According to him, although the UPN leadership was aware of recent cases of realignment amongst the registered parties and cross-carpeting by those it referred to as political opportunists, it would not be deterred in its commitment to bringing the dividends of democracy to the common man.

Salau stated that once UPN is registered, it will dislodge APC and PDP from power with the support of the masses who had been agonising under the present dispensation imposed by these parties at all levels of government.

UPN urged its members to continue the massive mobilisation of Nigerians towards forming a formidable vehicle for liberating the citizens from poverty, corruption and bad government.