- says this sloppiness must stop, Nigerians are ready to perform civic duty
- demands free, fair elections
By Banji Ayoola
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South West chapter, has criticised as flimsy the reasons given by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for its last minute postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The elections were scheduled to hold today; but the electoral body in the midnight shifted them by one week due to alleged logistics challenge.
In a statement by the party’s spokesman for the zone, Mr Ayo Fadaka, the PDP declared that “we are only interested in a free and fair election and therefore demand that INEC must discharge its responsibilities professionally in the interest of the peace and tranquility of our dear nation, there must continue to remain a prosperous Nigeria after the elections.”
It noted that the commission’s conduct since the beginning of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had always been shoddy in its preparations for and execution of the various bye-elections and isolated Gubernatorial elections.
Following is the full statement which was entitled “INEC’S last minute postponement:”
“We take due cognizance of the last minute postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections by INEC based on a flimsy excuse of logistical crisis, particularly in view of the numerous declarations of its preparedness to prosecute the elections on the dates previously fixed by it.
This development however put a lie to INEC’s numerous grandstanding and pointedly confirms its unpreparedness to conduct a nationwide election, an intention consistent with the desires of the APC, which if executed would have immediately created a political crisis in our nation.
It is important to state that the conduct of INEC since the Buhari years have been anything but satisfactory as it has always been shoddy in its preparations and execution of various bye-elections and isolated Gubernatorial elections.
This sloppiness must stop and INEC must be prepared to discharge its allocated responsibilities firmly on the new dates fixed for the elections.
Nigerians are prepared to perform their civic responsibilities to elect leaders that will steer the affairs of the nation for the next four years and will not in any manner excuse any action or insidious plan designed to circumvent or compromise that desire.
We are also curious to know the classes of sensitive materials that have been allocated and distributed in some States and what actions are being taken to protect them. For sure we are aware that ballot papers have been distributed in some States in the North West Zone and some other places particularly in the North, thus we ask INEC what its plans are to safeguard them or outrightly change same nationally.
We declare that we are only interested in a free and fair election and therefore demand that INEC must discharge its responsibilities professionally in the interest of the peace and tranquility of our dear nation, there must continue to remain a prosperous Nigeria after the elections.”
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
