Even as Nigerians are gradually accepting the reality of the postponement of the February elections, there is yet the growing concern whether or not both the Independent National Electoral Commission and the nation’s security apparatchik can, within the less than six weeks, put their acts together for well-organised polls on March 28 and April 11; just as they warned against any further postponement for whatever reason(s). Our Correspondents captured the reactions
Don’t Test the Will of Nigerians, Bamidele Warns FG
Following the deferment of the presidential election from February 14 to March 28 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a member of the House of Representatives in Ekiti State, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has warned the federal government against testing the will of Nigerians.
In spite of the shift in the dates, Bamidele advised Nigerians to be resolute in their support for Major Gen Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to deliver Nigeria from corruption, insecurity and the ravaging
unemployment that is pummeling Nigerian youths.
“Jonathan Presidency must not forget in a hurry how Nigerians fought the military dictator, Gen Ibrahim Babangida, and chased him out when he was becoming too crafty for Nigerians to handle. They should not also forget how Nigerians resisted the late maximum ruler, Gen Sanni Abacha.
“When it comes to a situation like this, Nigerians had always been the winners. So, I want to tell President Goodluck Jonathan to stand on his promise that there would be no further shift in the date because doing so would lend credence to the rumour that his government is planning to implant an Interim Government that has no root in the constitution.
PDP Doubts INEC’s Readiness for Rescheduled Polls
Barely four days after INEC postponed the general election to March 28 and April 11, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday expressed doubts over the commission’s readiness to conduct the elections.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Director-General, Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr Ahmadu Ali, said INEC’s problems were monumental and as such, it would fail monumentally.
Querying the commission for some aberration in the distribution of the Permanent Voters’ Card (PVCs), Ali said that the shift in election date was meant to save INEC from monumental embarrassment.
He indicted the commission over the lopsidedness in the distribution of the PVCs, noting that the troubled Borno State was having more PVCs than Lagos State.
With this development, Ali said that INEC might have allowed its distribution of cards to be tampered with.
Apart from the issue of PVCs, the former PDP chairman noted that the PVC readers were not fully distributed and tested, pointing out that voters have not even seen the equipment.
He said: “PDP is thrown aback by the change in the date of election and fully understands the frustration of the opposition. Having worked so hard for the election, travelled throughout the length and breadth of the country, including Maiduguri, it was a bit of frustration too as we were looking forward to February 14th.
“From all indications, INEC is not fully prepared for the elections. There are issues with the PVCs. Almost 30 million people are yet to get their PVCs despite the fact that the date of distribution was extended. Will it be possible to have a credible election when millions of Nigerians are disenfranchised because of lack of permanent voter’s cards?
“There are also reports that the PVC readers are not fully distributed and tested. How can INEC handle cases of faulty card readers? Do they have a credible plan B in situations where voters line up and the card readers refuse to work?
“Ballot boxes are reportedly inadequate. Adequate training of staff for the election had not been concluded, ditto other problems facing INEC.
“Quite clearly the shift in election date is meant to save INEC from monumental embarrassment. I would like to reiterate that the PDP is ready for the election any day.” he said.
He however reiterated President Jonathan’s position that May 29th is sacrosanct.
Youths Plan One Million-Man March in Calabar
The youth wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State has stated that it will soon stage a one million-man march to protest the postponement of Nigeria’s general election from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11, this year.
The APC youths in the state arrived at the decision at a meeting it held in Calabar to review the announced postponement of the polls.
Addressing journalists yesterday in Calabar, the state Youth Leader of the APC, Mr. Effiom Ekaha Otu, said plans are afoot by the youth wing of the party to organise a one million youth march in the state capital soon in solidarity with the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, and other candidates to garner more support for the party ahead of the elections.
Otu also said the youths have endorsed a door-to-door campaign for the party in the state.
He said the objective is to ensure that those who hold suspicious view about the person and capacity of the party’s candidates for the election would be well educated and sensitised on the inherent qualities of the APC candidates.
He said the campaign would ensure that all the over 2,000 polling units in the state are covered in the exercise, which promises to take an aggressive approach.
Otu said the APC in the state has the materials and the men to take its campaigns to all the wards and polling areas of the state ahead of the elections, which he noted the party remains adequately prepared for.
Speaking on the postponed general election, Otu said: “The presidency was caught in another web of cajoling by feigning insecurity as the reason for the postponement because it could not convincingly pull through the issue of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collection as initial reason for the shift.
‘’They forget that local government polls were successfully conducted in Yobe state last year, even in the face of heightened insecurity, yet the same presidency is saying they need the entire Nigerian Army to be available for the elections to hold successfully.
Shift Could Spell Doom, Says Akanbi
The pioneer chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi, has declared that the shifting of the general election dates from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11 may spell doom for the country because of the adverse effect it will have on the nation’s democracy.
He however cautioned politicians against using the unfortunate development to heat up the polity.
Akanbi disclosed this in Ilorin yesterday, while speaking with newsmen on the state of the nation.
According to him, “My view is not different from that of most Nigerians who felt that the elections should not be postponed. The way we are heating up the polity and making all sorts of frivolous statements can lead to trouble.”
He said, “Once the election is held, that will be out of the question and those who are beating drums of war will now know that election has been held and it’s either they accept the result or not.
“It appears the security chaps based on what I have read, gave the impression that they will not be able to guarantee peace and security. Faced with that situation, I think Professor Jega has found himself in a very difficult situation. The Jega I know is a principled man whom I have known from his days as the chairman of ASUU and I know what he sacrificed for the union and each election he held witnessed some sort of progress.”