Some residents of Anambra State have expressed sadness over the postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as `unfortunate’.
Reacting to the development on Saturday in Awka, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra described the postponement as `a very sad development’ for Nigerians.
Nwobu said that the postponement on early hours of the election day had shown Nigeria as a `disorganized’ country before comity of nations.
“INEC’s action is capable of blowing the polity but Nigeria has matured by unfolding political events, as such, will be calm to achieve their desired goal of enthroning good leadership.
“This has never been done in the annals of our country that on the morning of election, the elections will be postponed, it is lack of preparedness and planning,” he said.
“It is a clear indication of how Nigeria has been governed in the last four years and a proof of lack of plan and vision by the ruling government.
“If they like let the election be postponed ten times, this government must be voted out,” he said.
Nwobu urged PDP faithful to remain calm and abide by the rule of law and always stand with the party’s decisions at all time for growth and development of the entire nation.
Also Mr Godwin Ezeemo, a PDP stalwart in Anambra described the postponement as `a very big embarrassment to Nigeria, a big shame from an institution to a nation’.
He said that INEC had created room for suspicion on its ability to conduct credible elections.
“It really gives room for worry as our trust in its performance has been dashed,” Ezeemo said.
Prof. Stella Okunna , Dean Faculty of Management/Social Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, said that the postponement was `a shocker of the year and a huge embarrassment to a nation like Nigeria.
Okunna said that the image of the country had been battered and urged INEC to work hard to restore its dignity and credibility.
She said that Nigerians would be saddened about the development and appealed to the electoral body to ensure that the challenges that led to the postponement would be addressed before the new date.
Chief Chris Eluemuno, former state president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said that the postponement was uncalled for if INEC was truly ready to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
He said that all the security chiefs assured that they were ready to give their services to ensure peaceful elections and wondered why INEC that had the timetable could postpone elections for mere logistics challenges.
“The reason for the postponement is not cogent enough to give Nigerians. It is a huge disgrace in the comity of nations,’ Elemuno said.
Dr Kay Anyachor, the State Secretary of Social Democratic Party (SDP), described the postponement as `very painful’ adding that the action had taken the trust of the electorate out of the commission.
NAN reports that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, postponed the general elections, with the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled to hold on Feb. 16 moved to Feb 23.
The governorship/State House of Assembly are also shifted from March 2, to March 9.
Yakubu, in a nationwide broadcast, attributed the postponement to lack of adequate logistics and some other challenges.
He said that the postponement would give the commission room to address the identified challenges to give credible elections.
