By YUSUF MOHAMMED
Most Nigerians woke up to the news that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has postponed to February 23rd, the General election earlier scheduled for Saturday, February 16th, 2019.
Since the announcement, reactions have been trailing it. Most Nigerians have condemned the postponement of the election. As a result of the earlier date, many Nigerians travelled from one part of the country to another. Foreign observers have lodged in various hotels across the country and the postponement may take its toll on them.
A human rights activist, Mr. Segun Awosanya blames the postponement of the election on desperate politicians who want to have their way by any means. In a chat on twitter, he was of the view that, “INEC Chair is not the problem political desperadoes are the issue. Now those materials already distributed are endangered. Remember it was tug of war to secure ordinary PVC cars. How certain are we that the body bag crew and thugs of the teary eyed felon won’t steal materials?”
Ms. Chioma Awuegbo, a social commentator also took to twitter to condemn the postponement of the election and to also lambast those who are trying to play politics with it. She tweeted “I condemn this spin from the pits of hell that seems to suggest that INEC postponed the elections in cahoots with the opposition. The thing about precedent is you can’t have blamed Jonathan in Jega’s time and now want to blame Atiku in Yakubu’s time. No!”
A member of the All Progressives Congress Board of Trustees Ismaeel Ahmed “Let’s not mince words; we are thoroughly and utterly disappointed in INEC. How can you give us a date a year ago and come up with logistical issue as an excuse. You have been lying to us all along that you are ready?”
Peter Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti State also took to his official tweeter page to share his thoughts. It would be recalled that the former governor told Nigerians of plans to postpone the election about two days ago.
“Two days ago, I told Nigerians that the Presidency cabal was considering postponement of the elections because they knew that they can’t win. Now I am vindicated,” he said.
He is of the view that this will further dampen the chances of the APC in the presidential election. He continued, “With this, they have only succeeded in making their situation worse. Nigeria will defeat this tyranny ultimately,”
INEC Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, while briefing newsmen at the commission’s headquarters, announced that continuing with the election as earlier scheduled for today 16th February, 2019, was no longer feasible. According to him, “Following a careful review of the implementation of its logistics and operational plan and the determination to conduct free, fair, and credible elections, the commission came to the conclusion that proceeding with elections as scheduled is not longer feasible.” He therefore announced that the presidential and National Assembly elections had been moved to February 23, 2019.
