Nigeria’s Election Postponement : Sign Of Fear And Display Of Monumental Incompetence
The Oasis Reporters
February 16, 2019
As a anti climax to the expectations of exercising their franchise to vote as a referendum on the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC party. today, Nigerians woke up this morning to an announcement that the Presidential and National Assembly elections have been postponed till February 23.
This sudden move has demonstrated the unseriousness of much of Nigeria’s expensive but grossly inefficient public service, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, often derided as the Inconclusive National Electoral Commission. Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the man handpicked from the president’s home northern region to head the INEC has served in the last three and half years with a monumental lack of distinction. Almost all the elections conducted under him have been inconclusive and remain subject to numerous court cases all over Nigeria.
This sudden move has thrown the plans of Foreign Election Observers into jeopardy as their schedules have been altered by this sudden and unexpected move by the electoral commission.
INEC ad-hoc staff who are mostly Nigeria’s youth corpers have been sleeping rough in makeshift buses and in market places despite the billion of naira allocated to them to take care of personnel. Now the sudden postponement has thrown them into further jeopardy.
Breaking News: The #NigeriaDecides2019 Elections now to hold on; 23rd February, 2019 for Presidential and National Assembly while the Governorship, State House of Assembly and the FCT Area Council Elections is to hold on 9th March, 2019. pic.twitter.com/6zhvBLQe2a
— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) February 16, 2019
INEC has officially announced that the election has been postponed by week.
Just in case we need to remind the President. We are defeating you next week.
Nigerians are ready to get our country work again #AtikuOurPresident— Atiku Abubakar (@TaiwoBusola3) February 16, 2019
The People’s Democratic Party chairman, Uche Secondus has rejected the sudden postponement of the elections while the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar saw it as a one week adjournment towards throwing out the incumbent President, whose performance in office is often seen as mediocre.
Nigerians have taken to Twitter to express their disappointment over the postponement, and they see it as a fear of defeat, or a strategic move to catch people off guard and perfect some magic towards rigging the ballot.
The Peoples Democratic Party, @OfficialPDPNig rejects shift in election date.
The postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections by INEC is an agenda by President @MBuhari to cling to power. I hereby call on @inecnigeria Chairman to resign immediately.
Thread pic.twitter.com/kt01RsRhQy
— Prince Uche Secondus (@UcheSecondus) February 16, 2019
INEC postpones election after Atiku campaign uncovers APC's rigging plan. Presidential and NASS elections now scheduled to hold on Saturday 23rd February 2019. Buhari survives for one more week. Gov and House of Assembly elections to hold on March 9th 2019.
#AtikuOurPresident pic.twitter.com/vQpf84WK9C
— Atiku Abubakar (@SKSolaKuti) February 16, 2019
This is the most wicked and barbaric evil action against the Nigerian people.
Budget was spent
International observers arrived Nigeria
People left their business and travelled so as to vote!!
Youth corpers slept in the cold etc
We are disappointed in #INEC #NigeraDecides2019 pic.twitter.com/uPMvWJtDLJ— Bose Tinubu (@BoseTinubu) February 16, 2019
This sudden move has definitely rubbed in the fact that Professor Mahmood Yakubu is heading a tardy organization, and people wonder when the nation would get it right in planning.
However, some Nigerians believe that this is a sign of fear and anxiety on the part of the government and many more Nigerian voters are determined to throw the government out in the election to express their disappointment.
