Nigeria: Mixed reactions as INEC explains reasons for postponement of Presidential and National elections
By Chinyere Ogbonna – Mixed reactions have continued to trail the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections from different parts of the country.
The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu
The election was earlier scheduled to hold Saturday, the sixteenth of February, 2019 and suddenly Nigerians woke up to the announcement of the postponement of the elections, a situation many described as shocking, disappointing and an embarrassment to Nigeria before the international community.
Many argued that the decision should have come at least two or three days to the elections, while many dwelt on the economic and financial losses incurred by many who had travelled to various parts of the country as a result of the postponement.
Some others described the postponement as lack of preparedness on the part of INEC, describing it as a failure on the leadership and staff of the commission, while calling for the immediate resignation of the INEC boss.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC at a short notice, invited all stakeholders to a press briefing at the International Conference Centre in the nation’s capital, Abuja to give some explanations as to why the elections were postponed in the early hours of Saturday at about 2:44am.
The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, arrived the venue of the briefing and wasted no time in mounting the podium to explain why the elections were postponed about five hours to the elections.
“About 13 hours ago, I conveyed to Nigerians the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to reschedule the 2019 General Elections by one week.”
“Presidential and National Assembly elections earlier scheduled for 16th February, 2019 will now hold on Saturday, 23rd of February, 2019, while Governorship, State Assemblies and FCT Area Council elections scheduled for the 2nd of March, 2019, will now hold on Saturday 9th March, 2019.”
Professor Mahmood described the decision as painful.
“The one week adjustment was a painful one for INEC, but necessary in the overall interest of our democracy.”
“Nigerians will recall that when this commission was appointed in November 2015, we provided Nigerians with two Cardinal things. First, we shall work hard to consolidate on the improvement made in the management of elections in Nigeria since 2011, secondly, we shall always be open, transparent and responsive. We have strived diligently to keep these promises in varying trying circumstances”. The INEC boss said.
In keeping with this promise Professor Yakubu said
“Our goal is to plan carefully, execute meticulously and bring stability into election management in Nigeria.”
“We began the plan quite early with a strategic plan, a strategic plan of action and an election project plan.”
“Our overall assessment is that if the elections went on as planned, polls will not open at 8 in the morning in all polling units nationwide.”
“Our ICT Department advised us that it will require five to six days to reconfigure about a hundred and fifty thousand smart card readers earlier programmed to work only for the election day.” he said.
The INEC boss is not unmindful of how the decision by the commission had affected the perception of Nigerians about the electoral umpire. He therefore made deliberate efforts to douse the tension.
Addressing journalists, political parties’ representatives, the International communities, local and international election observers, as well as members of the civil society organisations at the International Conference Centre in the nation’s capital, Abuja, the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu who regretted the decision by the commission to postpone the elections, described it as a very difficult one, attributing it to logistics problems.
He appealed for the understanding of all stakeholders in what has been a very difficult decision for the commission.
” Our decision is entirely taken by the commission. It has nothing to do with security, political interest, nothing to do with the availability of resources. We believe that ultimately, this decision is good for our democracy and for our country.”
“I wish to assure you of our commitment to free, fair and credible elections.”
“As Chairman of INEC and on behalf of the commission, we take full responsibility for what happened”. he said.
However, some Nigerians however reacted by saying that the commission owed Nigerians an apology for the inconveniences and huge losses incurred as a result of the postponement.
” I think that it is proper that considering that Nigerians have been largely inconvenienced by the postponement by this Independent Electoral Commission to apology to Nigerians.”
In his response, Professor Mahmood said that it was about the adjective used.
“In the last paragraph of my statement, I stated that on behalf of myself as Chairman and on behalf of the commissioners, we regret what happened”.
INEC boss went further to outline the steps that it would take to ensure that the elections hold successfully on the 23rd of February.
It says it would complete and confirm the deployment of material on the 15th of February, configure smart card readers between the 17th and the 21st, receive and deploy sensitive materials to local governments on the 20th and 21st, while it will conduct refresher training for its ad-hoc staff on the 21st and deploy them on them 22nd”.
Professor Yakubu who clearly stated that the decision had nothing to do with security issues, on behalf of the commission took full responsibility for its inability to hold the election as earlier scheduled.
He explained the decision was largely informed by the advice of the ICT Department of the commission.
He emphasized that the decision was solely that of INEC
Prof.Yakubu who noted that all election materials were ready before time, said that cancellation of flights to various parts of the country due to bad weather, fire incidences which resulted in serious impacts.
Meanwhile, INEC has begun to retrieve sensitive and non-sensitive election materials already distributed to various states of the federation.
He explained election materials were ready and distributed early enough, unfortunately, the distribution to some areas by air was largely affected by bad weather.
In related development, the All Progressives Congress, APC has condemned the postponement of elections, demanding explanation for delaying the Announcement Until 2:30am. The National Chairman of the party, Comrade, Adams Oshiomole while asking question during the interactive session at the press briefing, made the point. He decried that the party had deployed resources for the election.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Earlier in a statement, signed by the party Saturday by the spokesperson for its Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Festus Keyamo, the party faulted the decision of the electoral umpire.
The statement says
“President Muhammadu Buhari had since cooperated fully with INEC by ensuring everything it demanded to conduct free and fair elections were promptly made available to it.”
The APC campaign council spokesman noted that the postponement was a disappointment to his party and their supporters across the country.
He, therefore, warned INEC against bowing to the purported pressure of the opposition which he said was not ready for the elections.
According to Mr. Keyamo, credible demographic projections have predicted a defeat of the opposition party and it needs the breather to halt President Muhammadu Buhari’s momentum.
“We do hope that INEC will remain neutral and impartial in this process as the rumour mill is agog with the suggestion that this postponement has been orchestrated in collusion with the main opposition,” he alleged.
The council spokesman added, “It is in the light of the above that we wish to appeal to Nigerians and our supporters to be patient, calm and resolute, despite this temporary setback.
“Let us not give anyone the opportunity to plunge this nation into a crisis, which is what they earnestly desire.”
On his part, the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has said that the ‘shoddy’ arrangements for this election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is a deliberate predetermined agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari to cling on to power.
Prince Secondus said that the postponement which is part of a grand design by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to thwart the will of Nigerians at all cost, clearly exposes INEC as a failure and calls on the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to resign immediately.
The PDP leader warned that the party will not accept anything short of a well-organized electoral process devoid of manipulation, harassment and intimidation of voters and the opposition particularly members of the PDP.
According to the party stalwart, postponing the elections is a plot by the ruling party to cling to power.
“Having failed in all their nefarious options to enable them to cling on to power, the APC and the INEC came up with the idea of shifting election an action that is dangerous to our democracy and unacceptable.”
The National Chairman said that the APC in connivance with the INEC have been trying all options including but not limited to burning down INEC offices in some states and destroying electoral materials to create artificial problems upon which to stand for their dubious act.
According to a statement from the National Chairman’s media office signed by Ike Abonyi, Prince Secondus said that the party is privy to all the pressures from the APC and the federal government to “arm-twist the INEC, to dance to their new strategy after their earlier ones failed.”
“With several of their rigging options failing, they have to force INEC to agree to a shift in the election or a staggered election with flimsy excuses pre-manufactured for the purpose.”
“For the avoidance of doubt the PDP sees this action as wicked and we are also aware of other dubious designs like the deployment of hooded security operatives who would be ruthless on the people ostensibly to scare themselves away,” Secondus said.
He said that by the action of the President he has further demonstrated his insensitivity costing the huge cost after Nigerians including those who came home from abroad have all mobilized to their various constituencies.
Prince Secondus recalled that the PDP had earlier alerted Nigerians that the APC was coming up with lined up rigging strategies including burning down of INEC offices and engineering crisis in PDP stronghold areas to scare away the people.
The PDP National Chairman also drew the attention of all lovers of democracy to the statement of President Buhari on the international media that nobody can unseat him from office, the party alleged that the President’s statement is an indication of what he wants to do.
