• Commonwealth regrets further shift
• Postponement cost Nigeria N75b
• 4 killed in Lagos, others missing
• FG reopens land borders
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday bowed to pressures from stakeholders, principally political parties to reschedule the 2011 general elections. INEC had, on Saturday, postponed the National Assembly elections to Monday (today) due to late arrival of sensitive election materials.
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Professor Attahiru Jega |
This was even as the federal government ordered the reopening of Nigeria’s land borders.
Rising from a close-door meeting with Nigeria’s political parties Sunday evening, INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega announced a sweeping change in all the election dates. According to him, rescheduling of the National Assembly elections would have implication for the schedule of all the other elections.
National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday, April 9, presidential on Saturday, April 16, while gubernatorial and the state assembly elections will hold on Tuesday, April 26.
Many political parties under the aegis of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) had threatened to boycott what they deemed an arbitrarily chosen date for the previously postponed National Assembly election.
“It is unacceptable that having failed in its most basic statutory responsibility to conduct the April 2011 National Assembly elections, INEC should arbitrarily announce a new date of Monday, 4th April, without consultations with political parties who are the major stakeholders in the election. As it stands, the parties are not ready or prepared for this new date and as such, we are not party to the date as dictated by INEC.” A statement issued by IPAC’s chairman, Chief Osita E. Okereke and the Secretary, Alhaji Shittu Mohammed had earlier stated.
Jega told newsmen: “Since the postponement and the announcement of Monday for the conduct of the National Assembly elections, several representations have been made to the commission, urging it to consult widely and to ensure that the two-day postponement is enough to address all the logistical issues that may militate against a successful conduct of the rescheduled elections.
“Following these representations and subsequent consultations with stakeholders, the commission has found that the overwhelming sentiment is to further reschedule the elections. Requests to reschedule the National Assembly elections have come from a cross-section of stakeholders, including political parties and civil society organisations.” Jega thanked Nigerians for their enthusiasm for the elections and support for the commission and the electoral process stressing that, “Your sacrifices are not lost on the commission and we are even more determined now to ensure that the 2011 elections are free, fair and credible.”
Responding to questions from newsmen on the possibility of merging National Assembly elections with the presidential elections, Jega said it was not explored because logistics challenge would be too enormous.
“It is possible but we believe that we are better served by separating the two; we do not want the logistical preparations for one to affect the other.
“We all know that the international community is interested in observing all the elections but they are more particularly interested in terms of the outcome of the presidential elections. As a commission and with the endorsement of the stakeholders that we have consulted, Nigeria is better served in terms of bringing about free, fair and credible elections, if we separated these elections. That was the reason for this separation, “he stated.
Parties roundly embraced the new election dates.
National chairman, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Tony Momoh, said: “The logo of some political parties are missing, many names are not there (on the ballot papers), there are shortages at polling stations and lots and lots of problems and these cannot be addressed within 24 hours. There is enough time now to make the necessary adjustments and we believe that Jega can handle the issue.”
The CPC said it was more comfortable with the March 9 date that has been fixed for the National Assembly elections and commended Jega for consulting with political parties and taking them into confidence before fixing the date.
The national publicity secretary of CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, speaking to LEADERSHIP yesterday, said the date was agreed upon through a democratic process. The political parties, he said, had a joint position which they presented to the electoral commission, adding that the new date is the most reasonable under the circumstances.
Fashakin said “Saturday will afford INEC the opportunity to overcome all the impediments it had previously encountered. It is good for Nigeria and I must commend Prof. Jega for his truthfulness. It takes a great man to take the decision he took.”
The acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Haliru Bello, said, : “If they (INEC) say they are not ready now, we are willing to wait for them to get ready because we want free and credible elections.”
Meanwhile, the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) has said it was unrealistic to schedule the cancelled National Assembly elections for Monday, even as the group insisted that it was capable of deepening the current state of uncertainty.
This was contained in a statement signed by Comrade Hilary Ojukwu of the Nigerian Progressives in the Diaspora; Barr Benedict Ezeagu, national coordinator SNG; Barr. Stanly Dien, secretary, SNG; and Barr. Francis Olabode, PRO, SNG; and made available to LEADERSHIP.
“In view of the nationwide confusion and disagreement occasioned by the new date fixed by INEC for the botched National Assembly elections, the Save Nigeria Group wishes to state unequivocally that the April 4,2011 date unilaterally announced by the Jega-led INEC is unrealistic and capable of further deepening the current state of uncertainty in the country.
They argued that the new date for the NASS elections would clash with WAEC examinations which had been fixed for the same date with the attendant security implications, even as any attempt to move these exams would cost the nation further avoidable and unwarranted loss.
Any new date, the statement maintained must take into cognizance the ability of different political parties and other stakeholders to mobilise the needed resources to be able to participate effectively in the elections.
However, the Commonwealth Election Observer Group in Nigeria has expressed regret over the further postponement of the National Assembly polls now scheduled to hold April 9.
A statement by its chairman, Festus Mogae, made available to LEADERSHIP last night stated that the last-minute postponement was regrettable.
“We have noted the further postponement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the National Assembly elections, and that the presidential elections have also now been postponed.
“We note that the announcement follows consultation with the principal stakeholders. We recognise fully that it is the prerogative of Nigeria’s electoral authorities to make changes to the electoral timetable.
“We believe, nevertheless, that such repeated and last-minute changes are regrettable and do not reflect positively on the state of preparedness of INEC.”
Meanwhile, an estimated sum of N75 billion might have been lost by the economy especially in the private sector following the postponement of the National Assembly election earlier scheduled for last Saturday.
The estimate is based on the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about $360 billion. Experts estimate that about $500 million or N75 billion for half a day of work was lost due to the fact that Saturday was a weekend when only the private sector operates.
The chairman of INEC, Prof. Jega, last Saturday postponed the National Assembly election due to an“ unanticipated late arrival of results sheets in many parts of the country.”
Reacting to the development, the chairman of the National Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa said the aggregate loss based on the GDP particularly as it borders on private sector which drives the economy of any nation, was enormous.
He noted that what happened was a national disgrace to a country that pride itself as giant of Africa, adding that INEC should apologies to the nation as what happened was absolutely unavoidable.
Ohuabunwa described the postponement as a national disgraced that bothers on the integrity of INEC adding that electoral materials are items that require the highest level of security and must be treated as such.
Ohuabunwa noted that if the security of any of the items is breached, then the credibility of the election becomes compromised.
Meanwhile, former Chai rman of Epe local government, Mr Mufutai Rufai and two others lost their lives on Saturday , as their boat capsized , when returning from a river side area in Epe local government area of Lagos state , where they went to monitor last Saturday’s botched National Assembly election.
Mr Rufai who was earlier seen at Epe around 2pm, was said to have visited Oriba in Epe Local government Area. Their boat capsized on their way back from the island, and three of them drowned in the process.
It was gathered that, they were eight people aboard the boat, but five of them managed to survive, and they were latter taken to a hospital for treatment, and have been subsequently discharged.
The reopneing of the borders was announced in Abuja by the minister of interior Captain Emmanuel Iheanachor.
This is sequel to the resheduling of the general elections by INEC.
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