INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega
More reactions have continued to trail the postponement of the country’s general elections earlier scheduled for February 14 and 28.
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Saturday, announced the shift of the elections to March 28 and April 11.
The Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged has rejected the new general elections timetable released by INEC.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Warri, CENTREP said the rescheduling of the elections was part of a grand design by the Federal Government to manipulate the elections in its favour.
The statement was signed by the centre’s Executive Director, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi.
It said, “We condemn same (rescheduling of the elections) as an act of desperation by the Presidency to rig and manipulate the said elections.”
The statement called on Nigerians to be vigilant and to help ensure that their votes were counted on Election Day and count afterwards.
It said, “Indeed, the action of INEC did not come to us as a surprise as there have been enormous pressures from the Presidency on the commission to postpone the exercise despite the latter’s assurances and that of the heads of our security agencies, stating their preparedness in conducting the said general polls nationwide on the 14th and the 28th of February, 2015.
“Though we concede that with the above shift there would not be any constitutional crises in the polity, since May 29 remains sacrosanct, INEC and our security agencies can no longer be trusted by the electorate and the international community for the conduct of free and fair polls come March 28 and April 11 respectively.”
CENTREP said the reasons given by the INEC chairman for shifting the elections were unjustifiable because the commission had since a year ago released the election timetable and relevant stakeholders should have planned with it.
“The excuse by our military chiefs of conducting a six-week special operation to wipe out the Boko Haram insurgents from the North-East of the country beginning from Saturday the 14th of February, a date initially fixed by INEC for the conduct of the presidential/ National Assembly elections is, therefore, suspect.
“It is our belief that both the INEC and our military are acting the script of the Presidency as handed down to them by the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who recently in far away London let out the script to the world about postponing the February general polls.
“It is, therefore, in the light of the above frightening anomalies we call on the electorate to be more vigilant ahead of next month’s general elections,” the statement said.
In the same vein, a body comprising the 26 political registered political parties in Osun, Interparty Advisory Council, has told the Federal Government not to force the Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, into retirement.
A statement by the chairman of the body, Adesoji Masilo, on Sunday, said the group will accept the postponement only if Jega would be allowed to conduct the shifted polls.
The statement said, “Osun State IPAC shall accept the shifting provided Prof. Jega shall be allowed to conduct the postponed general elections because there are insinuations that the INEC boss may be asked to go on terminal leave in order to enable a pliable personality conduct the elections.
“Government should allow the INEC chairman conclude the assignment he has been saddled with. This is the only way by which the government will not be seen as having an ulterior motive in the postponement of the election.”
The senator representing Osun-East senatorial district, Babajide Omoworare, has also condemned the decision of INEC to postpone the elections.
He described the action as an embarrassment and mockery of democracy given the fact that Nigerians and the international community have expressed optimism and joy that the country’s democracy was finally taking shape.
A statement by the media aide to the lawmaker, Tunde Dairo, on Sunday, said “It will be retrogressive of anyone to toy with the mood and feelings of the nation in the name of politics and selfish interest as done with this needless postponement.
“If the President is too scared of defeat, he has no moral justification to savour any electoral victory,” Omoworare who is a member of the All Progressives Congress, said.
Another chieftain of the APC, Segun Osinkolu, described the poll shift as a “deliberate infliction of injuries on Nigerians.”
In a statement made available on Sunday in Ado Ekiti, Osinkolu said, “It is unfortunate and an aberration for somebody or a group of people to hide somewhere and work on how to continue to draw Nigeria backward when Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora are more than prepared to elect their new leaders at all levels.”
While commending the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for the preparation, he advised him to get rid of bad eggs that could sabotage his efforts at giving Nigerians credible elections.
The presidential candidate of the United Progressives Party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, has also described as unfortunate INEC’s decision to postpone the elections.
He said, “This decision is regrettable in the light of the fact that it was reached as a result of tremendous pressure the government and its officials and agents mounted on INEC, including organised and apparently sponsored calls for the resignation of Professor Jega.
“As a responsible party with patriotic leadership, the UPP calls on its supporters to accept this development in good faith and stay calm and peaceful.
“We also call on our supporters to remain vigilant, however. The recent developments have demonstrated that the notion of an independent electoral agency is a mirage. The credibility of INEC and its chairman has suffered and the UPP suspects that this postponement is only the first in a series of intrigues to come.
“We commend the consultative efforts of Jega and INEC, nevertheless. We reiterate our call to President Jonathan and all political parties and their operatives to refrain from actions that could jeopardise the unity of Nigerians or the credibility of the nation among other nations of the world.”
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