As concerns continue to mount on whether next month’s general election would hold or not, a chieftain of the APC, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, on Tuesday demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) categorically state its position on the elections.

It also warned that no one should interfere with the conduct of the elections.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja yesterday, Baba-Ahmed also warned that the party was not prepared to tolerate any excuses.

Baba-Ahmed, who represented the party at a parley with INEC, also urged the electoral body to double its efforts in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

.He said:  “First of all, we want INEC to make a statement, a very clear statement that the dates 14 and 28 are sacrosanct. No one should interfere with the conduct of the election On the 14 and 28 of February.

“We want INEC to double its efforts to make sure that all voters get their PVCs before the elections. We want INEC to improve on voter education. And I hope other parties will also do the same thing.

“On the whole, we feel that INEC is doing its best and we encourage and support them. On ensuring that the election holds, he said: “This election must go on, there is no going back on these elections. This election must hold on the 14th and 28th of February. We will not tolerate any excuses.”

The party he said it would not want to contemplate not holding the election, adding that it was not an option.

Speaking on the commission’s preparation, the APC chieftain said: “All we can see is that INEC is committed to conducting this election as scheduled, they understand that they have some challenges and we want to partner with them, to see if we can partner with them in resolving some of these challenges, We will continue to work with them, we want them to be open. We would want them to take us into confidence so that we know some of the limitations they have so that our party can help.

“We have a stake in this election, so we don’t want to see it entirely as INEC’s problem alone. We want to see it as a national problem and that is why we came here to offer our assistance and cooperation with INEC.

On PVC, “we do get figures from INEC and we appreciate that.  What we want to offer is greater assistance and political parties should be made part of the machinery to mobilise the people to know where PVCs are awaiting collection and to know what number that is still out there on the field so that we can use our tremendous mobilisation capacity to make sure citizens go out to collect their PVCs,” Baba-Ahmed stated.

He also agreed that elections can still go on with the figures of collection; adding “our position is that PVCs should be the only mode of identification and we don’t want to consider any option at this stage because any other option will severely compromise the integrity of the process.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Inter Party Committee (IPAC), Dr. Yusuf Tanko, has, called on the federal government to declare a three-day public holiday for the collection of PVCs.

He argued that the holiday will enable all registered voters go out to collect their cards.

Tanko who also spoke on the ongoing political campaign,  condemned the level of violence observed so far,  warning that IPAC would not hesitate to  drag to court any political party that violate the non-violence accord.  He said: “IPAC condemned in strong terms the level of violence and lack of accommodation being shown by some political parties to campaigns that has been going on.”

He argued that every political party has the right to campaign in any part of this country without the fear or intimidation.

IPAC has also set up a monitoring committee to monitor the ongoing campaigns and promised that it would not hesitate to drag any party that fails to comply with the rent Abuja peace accord.

In his opening remarks, INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, reassured the political parties and indeed Nigerians that the commission was determined not only to conduct free, fair and credible elections,  but a violent free elections.

He also reinstated the commission’s determination to ensure that the forthcoming elections are much better than the 2011. Jega was also positive that the commission will overcome its challenges before the February elections.

He said: “I want to use this opportunity to assure all of you that as we promised Nigerians, we are working assiduously to ensure that we prepare adequately and that we conduct elections that are free, fair and credible and peaceful in 2015

“I want to also assure you that we are committed to ensuring that the elections we will conduct will be remarkably very- very much better that those we conducted in 2011.

“We believe that even though there may be challenges such as the distribution of the PVCs, we feel confidently that with the measures and mechanisms that we have put in place, that these challenges are challenges that we can overcome. And we shall overcome them well in advance of the conduct of the 2015 general election.”

Speaking on the meeting with the political parties, Jega said it was used to provide an update on the preparations for the 2015 general election.
He therefore appealed to all stakeholders to join hands with the commission in addressing the challenges.

Jega also urged Nigerians to be patient, especially with the distribution of the PVCs and remain resolute in coming out to collect their PVCs.
He further explained that the use of the PVCs would help reduce electoral fraud.