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Poll Shift: Sen. Sodangi urges Nigerians to support INEC

Poll Shift: Sen. Sodangi urges Nigerians to support INEC
By Awayi Kuje
Appeal
Nasarawa (Nasarawa State), Feb. 16, 2019 (NAN) Former Sen. Abubakar Sodangi (PDP-Nasarawa West) has appealed to Nigerians to have faith and appreciate the enormous challenges of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Sodangi made the call while reacting to the postponement of the Feb. 16 and March 2 general elections by INEC on Saturday in Nasarawa.
Sodangi, who is now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State, said that it was better for the electoral umpire to shift the polls if there were problems in order to have free and fair elections in the country.
“It has happened and it has been announced by INEC whose responsibility is to conduct free, fair, acceptable and credible elections.
“The electorate are fully ready to come out en mass and cast their votes for President Muhammadu Buhari because the president has done well especially in the area of corruption, economy and security.
“Also we have stakeholders like the domestic and international observers who are here in the country to observe the election to ensure its credibility.
“If INEC thinks that there is logistic problem, let us be patient with the commission in order to have free and fair election.
“It is better to shift the election and do it correctly.
“It is in view of this that I want to appeal to the electorate and other Nigerians to be patient with INEC on election postponement,” he said.
The former lawmaker also urged APC supporters and Nigerians to come out en masse and vote President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates in the rescheduled elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, late Friday announced the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections by one week
Yakubu also said that the governorship, House of Assembly and FCT area council elections had also been shifted from March 2 to March 9.
The chairman attributed the postponement of the polls to logistic and operational problems.
He said the postponement would afford the commission the opportunity to address the identified challenges in order to maintain the quality of Nigeria’s elections. (NAN)
AKW/CHOM/MST
Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Lagos IPAC seeks support for INEC

Lagos IPAC seeks support for INEC

By Bolaji Buhari
Support
Lagos, Feb. 16, 2019 (NAN) The Lagos Chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has appealed to Nigerians to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in order to deliver credible elections.

The state Chairman of the council, Malam Shakirudeen Olofin, made the call on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He was reacting to the rescheduling of the Presidential, National Assembly, governorship and FCT area council polls by the electoral umpire.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, announced the rescheduling after an emergency meeting of the commission late Friday, saying the Presidential/NASS elections earlier fixed for Feb.16 would now hold on Feb. 23.

He added that the governorship election had also been shifted by one week, and that the poll would now be conducted on March 9 instead of the earlier date of March 2.

Yakubu explained that the postponement was necessitated by some logistic and operational challenges, and that the shift would enable INEC address the issues to deliver quality elections that the nation deserves.

Reacting, Olofin said INEC’s explanation for the postponement of the elections was valid and urged Nigerians to show understanding and support the commission to succeed.

He said the expectation of all well-meaning Nigerians was for the commission to deliver credible elections and that citizens should stand with INEC to deliver that.

The IPAC chairman said election postponement was not new in the country as the 2015 election, adjudged to be one of the most credible in the country‘s history was also rescheduled.

Olofin called for calm on the development, saying it is wrong for anybody to read negative meanings or heat up the political space over the decision.

“We should all be calm and show understanding with INEC on the postponement of the polls.

“INEC has said the rescheduling is to enable them give Nigeria credible elections and we think waiting patiently for another seven days should not be a problem.

“We should remember that the 2015 elections were initially rescheduled owing to the same operational challenges being cited now, and at the end of the day, we got one of the best elections in our history.

“Nigerians, particularly, stakeholders should not heat up the political space over the postponement. We should be patient and give INEC benefit of the doubts to keep its promise,” he said.

He said the loss of electoral materials to inferno in some states and the late court verdicts on the Zamfara All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries should make even sceptics stand with INEC on the postponement.

Olofin said a free, fair and credible election was a misnomer when some Nigerians were disefranchised for whatever reason.

The IPAC chairman however urged INEC to live up to its promise to deliver credible elections, saying all Nigerians and the world are keenly watching and will not accept anything short of the promise to deliver a free, fair, credible and acceptable poll. (NAN)
BHB/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola