From every indication, Nigerians lost enormously as a result of last Saturday’s late postponement of Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The loss was not limited to finances. It extended to lives, as many lost their lives while travelling to where they had registered as voters.
It is unfortunate that Nigerians went through such costly and bitter experience for no fault of theirs.
At times, sacrifices are made for the survival and growth of a country by her citizens. Let it be hoped that the sacrifices made by Nigerians last Saturday will be made up and compensated through a free, fair and credible conduct of rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday 23rd February.
A critical review of last Saturday’s postponement of the said elections point to the fact the APC federal government had wanted a staggered election and so had thrown wages on the wheel of administration of the elections. Deliberately, electoral materials could not get to their destinations. The plan was to have elections in areas APC felt it would be comfortable and make sure elections would not hold in areas they consider as strongholds of PDP.
Unfortunately for APC, Foreign Observers that are in the country for the election successfully resisted that obnoxious plot by APC. They maintained that Presidential and National elections should be conducted holistically.
If APC government had succeeded in having a partly election last Saturday, the plot would have been to use the nation’s Security Agencies to frighten, intimidate and dissuade voters in places of visible strength by the PDP from turning out in large numbers to cast their votes.
The reason why the Governor of Kaduna State threatened that Foreign Observers who intervene in the elections would go in ‘body bags’, has eventually manifested.
Thank God today is Wednesday and the Independent National Electoral Commission still has three full days to perfect whatever arrangements it should make for a successful hitch-free conduct of elections.
It is said, Once bitten, twice shy. Having been a victim of both externally and internally cordinated sabotage, the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission should be more resolute on his mandate to conduct elections that will stand the test of time.
Prof Mahmood Yakubu should not forget that History is patiently waiting to give him a place appropriate to his conduct. He should be uncompromisingly guided by the country’s constitution. Instructions from the Presidency that negate the constitution should be ignored and the Heavens will not fall.
Specifically, the Chairman should not lose sight of the high probability that the APC federal government would not relent in its plot to achieve a staggered election. To that effect, the government might use its control of the Air force Pilots and Security Agencies to create confusion and frustration, just to achieve its objective of staggered elections.
Let it be understood and appreciated that PDP will not accept any staggered election.
PDP would wish, once again, to remind APC that it came into power in 2015 on the sound electoral environment created by it. The Party should stop being too desperate and allow Nigerians, who have become tired of their abysmal performance, to vote freely in Saturday’s election.
Sir Don Ubani.
