LP Urges INEC To Stick To New Elections

Arising from the twice postponement of the National Assembly election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Labour Party has appealed to INEC not to postpone the elections again but to stick to the new dates for the eections.

INEC postponded the National Assembly election slated for last Saturday  to Monday, April 4 hours into the election and shifted it from Monday again to next Saturday, a development that altered the dates earlier fixed for the other elections.

The new dates announced by the commission are Saturday, April 9 for Senate and      House of Representatives, Saturday, April 16, for Presidential and Tuesday, April 26 for House of Assembly and Governorship.

Stating the position of Labour Party on the postponement, Chairman of Rivers State chapter, Prince Favour Felix Reuben said the postponement was not funny and advised against further postponement .

Prince Reuben who spoke with The Tide on the controversial postponement in Port Harcourt, described it as ‘very disappointing’ and an indication that INEC was  not ready for the election in the first place.

“It shows that there was not enough preparation on the part of INEC.  If there is, may be  there is something we don’t know yet that they need to tell the public –the true situation  (and reason) why that election was actually shifted”, he said.

The Rivers Labour Party Chairman, said the party was ‘surprised’ at the postponement and castigated the electoral body for allowing the parties to spend huge sum of money, preparing for the election, only to announce its psotponement midway into the election.

“We (Labour Party) are saying that Jega should do everything within his power to stop this kind of occurrence because so much money has been wasted – and for us in the opposition, we spend so much money.  We are not in government to spend such amount of money (without feeling it) and the whole thing is flopped.  And we all know that INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega said he is not giving a dime to political parties for this election (and he did not),” he said.

Prince Reuben however challenged Jega on the credibility of the postponement and the re-scheduled elections, saying that although   “we are not happy that the election has been postponed , if the postponement of the election would add credibility to the election, it is well and good, we believe in Jega”.

“We want to encourage him to do what is proper and give Nigerians credible election because Nigerians have faith in him.  … As a party, law-abiding party, we will not oppose the new dates, we’re not going to be fighting INEC, we’ll just obey or follow the time table but we are begging Jega (INEC) that the elections should be credible”, he added.

Justus Awaji