INEC POSTPONED ELECTIONS REGARDING PRESIDENTIAL AND ALL FEDERAL
The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday announced the postponement of presidential and parliamentary elections, now scheduled to hold 7 days from the day of its postponement.
Reacting to this development, some voters across the country while asked by journalists said, we all woke up with the news that the elections has been postponed. Meanwhile, information from a reliable source declared that the chairman of INEC ‘Mahmood Yakubu’ has stated that the date of the elections will be on the twenty third (23rd) of February and ninth (9th) of march respectively .
According to the INEC chairman, the commission has decided to postpone the elections he said in a press conference. Meanwhile, the Nigerian President ‘Muhammadu Buhari’ responding to this development said, “INEC assured us they are ready for the elections and will not be delayed”, the opposition presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ‘Atiku Abubakar’ said the move was aimed at All Progressive Party (APC) rigging the election.
Voter responding to INEC postponed elections said, they all see this as an act of incompetence on the side of the commission (INEC), while others complained of students at home on the basis of public holiday as a result of initial scheduled elections, would they go back to school and still return after three days or continue with the break! While some said they travelled long distance in order to exercise their civic responsibility, all disappointed with INEC postponed elections.
The chairman of the commission (INEC) ‘Mahmood Yakubu’ said in a press conference, “following a careful review of the implementation of its logistics and operational plan and determination to conduct free, fair and credible elections. The commission came to the conclusion that proceeding with the election as scheduled is no longer feasible. Consequently, the commission has decided to reschedule the presidential and national assembly elections to Saturday the 23rd of February 2019”.
“Furthermore, governorship, state house of assembly and federal capital territory area council election has been scheduled on Saturday the 9th march, this is to afford the commission the opportunity to address and identify challenges in order to maintain the quality of our elections. This was a difficult decision for the commission to take but necessary for the successful delivery of elections under consolidation of our democracy”.
People from different parts of the country responding to INEC postponed elections have different opinion, some said INEC postponed elections will affect the turn-out, while others are saying it is an act of incompetence on the side of INEC. According to a reporter, INEC postponed elections is not the first, sitting that the previous elections of 2011 and 2015 respectively were delayed by the commission as well.
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