The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will not comment on the controversy between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party over the women rally organised by the First Lady, Patience Jonathan, in Abuja last Thursday.
The APC had referred to the event as a political rally and accused the Presidency of violating the INEC’s rule, which bars political parties and aspirants from campaigning for the 2015 elections.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement on Sunday, asked the Presidency to tell Nigerians why it had defied INEC rules by continuing to campaign for the 2015 elections, contrary to INEC’s directive.
It also urged the electoral commission to sanction anyone responsible for the rally.
But the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Kayode Idowu, said the commission would not comment on the issue, adding that the agency as an umpire would not join issues with political parties.
“I have read the brick bats between the APC and PDP in the newspapers. As an umpire, INEC will not join issues with the parties. I won’t make any comment on the matter,” he said on the telephone on Monday.