US, APC, Others Condemn Polls Shift …Postponement In Nation’s Interest

The United States Government has expressed disappointment over the postponement of Nigeria’s general elections which was announced Saturday night by the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega.
In a statement in Washington,  DC, shortly after the announcement of the postponement in a press briefing in Abuja, US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said: The United States is deeply disappointed by the decision to postpone Nigeria’s presidential election, which had been scheduled for February 14.
“Political interference with the Independent National Electoral Commission is unacceptable, and it is critical that the government does not use security concerns as a pretext for impeding the democratic process”, he added.
According to him, “The international community will be watching closely as the Nigerian government prepares for elections on the newly scheduled dates.
“The United States underscores the importance of ensuring that there are no further delays. As I reaffirmed when I visited Lagos last month, we support a free, transparent, and credible electoral process in Nigeria and renew our calls on all candidates, their supporters, and Nigerian citizens to maintain calm and reject election-related violence”, Kerry noted.
Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lamented Saturday’s decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the 2015 elections by six weeks on the advice by the security chiefs, who said that they cannot provide security for the elections nationwide because of the commitment of its resources to fight insurgency in the Boko Haram-ravaged North-East.
“This is clearly a major setback for Nigerian democracy,” APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun said in a statement issued in Abuja.
He announced that the party had called an emergency meeting to study the implications of the poll shift, promising to inform Nigerians of its decisions in the next few days.
“In the meantime though what has happened is highly provocative, I strongly appeal to all Nigerians to remain calm and desist from violence and any activity which will compound this unfortunate development. We must not fall into this obvious trap. Change we must. They can only delay it; No one can stop it,” Odigie-Oyegun said.
“I want to assure all Nigerians that the All Progressives Congress will not abandon its commitment to change and will sustain the struggle to establish a new Nigeria,” he added.
But in contrast, however, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation has expressed support for the INEC’s postponement of the general elections, saying it was in the nation’s interest.
The party’s position is contained in a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, yesterday in Abuja.
Fani-Kayode said that the organisation concurred with the decision to shift the elections, stressing that it was in the interest of deepening democracy in the country and in national interest.
“INEC must be commended for showing the courage to shift the elections, after acknowledging the fact that its state of preparedness was not 100 per cent,” he said.
“Since this decision has been taken in the interest of deepening democracy and in national interest, we accept it in good faith.
“We commend INEC’s courage and obvious commitment to ensuring a free and fair election.”
Fani-Kayode said that with the postponement, INEC had allayed the fears of many Nigerians that may not have the opportunity to vote for the candidates and parties of their choice on election days.
He maintained that INEC had by the decision ensured that no one would be disenfranchised and had helped to guarantee the safety and security of Nigerians during the elections.
He added that the shift would enable the nation’s security agencies to put better measures in place to secure the North-East and ensure that elections could hold in the region.
He urged PDP supporters to remain calm and patient, stressing that the party was strong.
“Our candidate is confident; our course is just; our God is mighty and our victory is assured. No matter what happens and no matter how long it takes, we shall prevail,” he said.
The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya said the postponement of the February elections to March 28, and April 11, 2015 was a plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rein its rigging plans.
Ikanya said this, Saturday, at the APC governorship rally at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State, barely four hours before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the postponement of February elections to March 28, and April 11, 2015.
Ikanya, who condemned the PDP’s conspiracy in the election postponement, said the sudden postponement was part of the PDP’s plans to impose President Goodluck Jonathan on the Nigerian electorate.
He called on INEC to be watchful, and not to succumb to PDP’s plan to truncate the country’s democracy, assuring that APC would surely win the polls, in spite of the postponement.
Also condemning the postponement, a House of Representatives candidate on the platform of APC, Hon. Sampson Egop said, this is the first time Nigeria would witness a ruling party seriously agitating for election postponement.
According to him, for the ruling PDP and key officials of the Federal Government to call for postponement of elections, calls for serious scrutiny and probe.
He called on Nigerians to resist any plan by the PDP to draw Nigeria’s democracy backward.
The APC House of Representatives candidate in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Chief Tony Okocha, also condemned the polls shift, describing it as PDP’s master plan to manipulate and rig the elections.
According to him, the insecurity in about 14 local governments in the North and the non-collection of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by eligible voters were not enough reasons to justify the election postponement, adding that it was certain that not all registered voters would collect their PVCs before the elections.
The National Assembly member representing Rivers South East, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, described the poll shift as the shameless manipulation of the security services, against the interest of the country by the PDP.
Abe said that it was not only immoral to contrive the election shift, but using the armed services and feasting politically on the suffering of innocent Nigerians in the North East, was despicable.
According to him, in our quest for power, wealth and undeserved privileges, surely there must be some things that we cannot and should not do.
This is one of those things that will never be forgotten because it is a new low, even for Nigeria.
The Rivers State Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party, Prince Tony Princewill, described the shift of the election as a divine intervention for him and his party.
According to him, ’’the party campaign was just getting warm”, adding that the decision was wise for the country, stressing that it will deepen the country’s democracy by ensuring increased participation by voters.
‘’The 60 per cent collection of the permanent voters’ cards is nowhere near enough. My worries were eased when I saw All Progressives Congress keen for the elections to hold. I often find them doing the opposite of what they say. Why the rush?”, he asked.
It would be recalled that at a press conference in the late hours of Saturday, the Independent National Electoral Commission in Nigeria (INEC) had formally announced a shift in the 2015 general elections dates to March 28 and April 11.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who announced the new dates after series of meetings with political stakeholders, had said that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on March 28 while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections would hold on April 11.
While struggling to pacify majority of Nigerians who were angry over the postponement, Jega and other top officials of the INEC, had justified the date shift, stressing that the decision was not influenced by any group or individuals.
He said: “We have done wide reaching consultations to enable us have as much input as necessary before taking an informed decision.
“In the series of consultations that we had with stakeholders, the questions constantly posed to them for consideration are; in view of the latest developments, should INEC proceed with the conduct of the general elections as scheduled in spite of the strong advice and if so, what alternative security arrangements are available to be put in place.
“The second is; should INEC take the advice of the security chiefs and adjust the schedules of the general elections within the framework of the constitutional provisions,” Jega said.
According to him, the commission decided to take the advice of the security chiefs and adjust the dates of the elections in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“We have done this, relying on section 26 (1) of the Electoral Act, as amended.
“Where a date has been appointed for the holding of an election and there is reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded with on that date or it is impossible to conduct an election as a result of natural disaster or other emergencies, the commission may postpone the election and shall in respect of the area or areas concerned appoint another day for the holding of the postponed election provided that such reason for the postponement is cogent and verifiable.”
The INEC Chairman pointed out that for the fact the commission was not a security agency that could guarantee protection of personnel, voters during elections and observers, the commission could not likely wave-off the advice by the nation’s security chiefs.
“The commission is concerned about the security of our ad-hoc staff, the young men and women of the NYSC and students of the tertiary education who constitute at least 600,000 young men and women that we will use in the election,” he said.
Jega further said that the concern was not limited to the areas in the north-eastern part of the nation that has witnessed series of attacks by the members of a terrorist group, the Boko Haram but to the security of the commission’s officials and the observers.
“We believe that few election management bodies around the world will contemplate conducting elections under these circumstances,” he said, emphasising that “the prospect for free, fair and credible elections will not be guaranteed if the election was held as scheduled”.
The commission’s boss said that the rescheduling fell within the constitutional framework for the conduct of the election, stressing that the INEC will, “under no circumstances approve an arrangement that is not in line with the provisions of our rules.”
Jega said that the decision to shift the election was taken in good faith and in the best interest of democracy in Nigeria.
The commission expressed hopes that the security services would ensure that the security environment needed for safe and peaceful conduct of the elections were rapidly put in place, promising that it would do everything within the law to conduct a free fair and credible election.
“We call on security agencies to restore sufficient normalcy for elections to take place within the period of extension.
“Nigerians and political parties’ candidates were urged to accept the decision in good faith and ensure the maintenance of peace.”
The issue of Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) distribution had also been raised at different occasions, with some electorates lamenting that the process of distribution was slow.
Jega said that out of the 68.8 million registered voters 66.58 per cent of the PVCs have been distributed, promising that the commission would continue to do its best to resolve all issues in respect of non-collection of the PVC.
He further said that the commission had considered the effect the postponement would have, but decided to take the decision in the interest of the nation’s democracy.

Enoch Epelle

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi addressing supporters, during the APC governorship campaign rally at Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre LGA, last Friday