As INEC postpones general elections, Atiku kicks
NEWS DIGEST–The Independent National Electoral Commission,(INEC) has declared another date for the February 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections earlier scheduled for today.
The polls will now hold Saturday February 23.
This was one of the decisions reached early Saturday morning in a meeting INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, had with the 12 national commissioners in Abuja.
Addressing the media at about 2:45am, Yakubu explained that the shift was mainly due to logistics problems faced by the commission.
“Following a careful review, the commission came to the conclusion that proceeding with the elections will not be feasible”, he said.
Yakubu explained that the decision was taken in order to give the nation a free, fair and credible exercise.
“Furthermore, the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly and FCT elections will hold on Saturday March 9”, the electoral chief added.
The national elections are expected to hold at 119,973 polling units across the country while collation of results will take place in 8,809 Registration Areas or Wards, 774 Local Government Areas and 36 States and the FCT.
This is not the first time that the commission would postpone a scheduled general election.
In 2015, the Presidential Election was shifted from February 14 to March 28th, 2015; while the Governorship and State House of Assembly and FCT elections scheduled for 28 February were shifted to 11 April.
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Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in a release, has expressed dissatisfaction with INEC for postponing the polls.
The statement reads: “The Buhari administration has had more than enough time and money to prepare for these elections and the Nigerian people were poised and ready to perform their civic responsibility by voting in the elections earlier scheduled for Saturday, 16 February, 2019.
“This postponement is obviously a case of the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob. By instigating this postponement, the Buhari administration hopes to disenfranchise the Nigerian electorate in order to ensure that turn out is low on the rescheduled date. Nigerians must frustrate their plans by coming out in even greater numbers on Saturday, 23 February and Saturday, 9 March respectively.
“Knowing that the Nigerian people are determined to reject them, they are desperate and will do anything in their power to avoid their rejection by the Nigerian people. Their plan is to provoke the public, hoping for a negative reaction, and then use that as an excuse for further anti-democratic acts.
“As such, I call on all Nigerians to be patient. We have tolerated the maladministration of this government for four years. We can extend our tolerance a few more days and give them our verdict via our votes.
“Maintain the peace and be law abiding. Do not react to this provocation with anger, violence or any action that might be exploited by those who do not want this election to hold. Remain calm. We will overcome this. You can postpone an election, but you cannot postpone destiny.
“Please come out to vote on Saturday, 23 February and Saturday, 9 March respectively. Frustrate those who do not want this election to hold by coming out in very large numbers. That is the best antidote to their plans.”
