Mr Issa Aremu, Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate for Kwara, says the late postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is unacceptable and an embarrassment to the country.
Aremu expressed his view in a signed statement by him and made available to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja.
He said that he received news of the postponement just at the 11th hour with mixed feelings just as Nigerians were ready to exercise their democratic rights.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC had in the early hours of the Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections rescheduled it to Feb. 23 and Governorship and State Assembly to March 9.
The electoral body said it was due to what it tagged: “logistics, operational plan and its determination to ensure free, fair and credible elections” in the country.
According to Aremu, INEC must improve on its corporate governance by sticking to its rescheduled time tables in order to sustain confidence it has commendably engendered so far in the preparations for the 2019 elections.
“It is certainly unacceptable that some voting materials are not ready after four years of preparations.
“It is also embarrassing that the postponement came so late in the day with all the attendant costs for poor voters who had to travel to their various places to vote.
“There was enough notification for 2015 postponement based on security reasons.
“INEC is right that the postponement is ‘one difficult decision’, but it is even more challenging for the electorate and candidates alike, who woke up for no voting show,” he said.
He, however, called on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to use the next one week to put-in proper arrangements for free and fair elections in the country.
He said that Labour Party was ready and willing to partner with INEC for successful rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly Elections on Feb. 23, the Governorship, State Houses of Assembly and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections on the March 9.
He, therefore, called on all key stakeholders to bear with INEC for successful polls, which is better late than never.
“All is well that ends well toward the consolidation of Nigerian democratic process.
“This is the 6th Democratic transition since 1999, Labour Party is confident that this transition will be as successful as the past despite the challenges,” he said.
