With the help of the “masses” the Unity Party of Nigeria believes that it will defeat the All Progressives Congress and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the next general elections even if the two parties merged.
The UPN, which is yet to be registered as a political party by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Adedeji Salau on Monday.
The statement read in part, “Although the UPN leadership is aware of recent cases of realignment among the registered parties and defections by political opportunists, it will not be deterred in its commitment to bringing the dividends of democracy to the common man.
“If the whole of the PDP joins the APC, or the whole of the APC joins the PDP, the UPN will successfully dislodge them from power with the support of the masses who have been agonising under this present dispensation imposed by these parties at all levels of government”.
The party affirmed that though it had not been registered by INEC, it would still participate in the forthcoming governorship poll in Ekiti and Osun states respectively.
The party said it had fulfilled necessary requirements for registration, and expressed confidence that INEC would quickly issue it (UPN) with the certificate of registration to enable aspiring members contest in the polls.
“Everything that UPN should do, it has done. The question to ask INEC is what is holding the UPN from registration. This inexplicable delay is causing fear and worry among the public”, the statement said
According to the recently released election time-table by INEC, the first round of elections will hold this year in Ekiti on June 21 followed by the Osun governorship poll on August 9.
Next year, the Federal elections will commence with presidential and national assembly polls slated for for February 14, while the state governorship and state houses of assembly polls come up two weeks later on February 28.
The UPN said “the party would be registered early enough for the party and its contestants to take part in all the coming elections”.
