By Dickson Omobola

AHEAD of the February 25 elections, a legal practitioner, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, yesterday, urged the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to provide political parties with cash, saying they need money for logistics.
He also said it would be unfair if the CBN denies the parties access to cash, while recognising that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, needs funds to accomplish its tasks.
Oyetibo, in a statement, said the news that the CBN had made cash available to the INEC for its election logistics was pleasant, noting that the INEC would be conducting the elections for the political parties.
The statement reads: “It is commendable that the CBN Governor appreciated the need for INEC to have access to cash for the elections. It is a demonstration of a sense of political reality. However, this is how far the commendation can go. If the CBN accepts that INEC needs cash for its election logistics, why would it shut its eyes to the needs of the political parties for cash for their election logistics? After all, the INEC is not organising the elections for itself. No.
“The elections being organised by INEC are to be contested by the political parties. For example, there are over 176,000 polling units, over 8000 Ward Collation Centres, 774 Local Government Collation Centres, and 36 State Collation Centres in the country. The political parties are required to post agents to each of these centres across the country. Some parties post more than one agent to a centre. Do they not need cash for their logistics?
“The CBN would appear to be playing the game of a political ostrich engaging in political pettifogging by making cash available to INEC for election logistics while denying the political parties access to cash for their election logistics. Are we not cutting our noses to spite our faces?
“It is hoped that the CBN will realise its mistake on this matter, make amends and not allow this type of egregious policy to occur for future elections.”