Ribadu, others lament postponement of election

Some leading politicians from the North-East on Saturday lamented the postponement of the National Assembly election by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Speaking in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, they said the development amounted to a sheer waste of the nation’s resources and could dampen the morale of voters. They include the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the National Publicity Secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Alhaji Muhammed Sabo; and the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Malam Haliru Jika. Ribadu told NAN in Yola that the postponement of the election as ‘sad and tragic’. He said INEC had enough time to prepare for the election but failed. Sabo told NAN in Bauchi that it was unfortunate for INEC to have postponed the election. Sabo, who is also House of Representatives candidate for Bauchi Metropolitan Federal Constituency, described the action as ‘disappointing, embarrassing and strange’. Also speaking, Jika, also said the postponement would affect candidates from opposition parties, who had used their personal resources to fund their campaigns and hire polling agents. The Bauchi State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Al-Amin Sani, described the postponement as ‘sad’, and urged INEC to provide genuine reasons for the decision. The Yobe South ANPP senatorial candidate, Alhaji Alkali Jajere, told NAN that the postponement had eroded the people’s confidence in INEC. He lamented that the huge resources invested in the preparations had not yielded the expected results. By Agency Reporter Courtesy Of: Punch

Bankole voted before announcement

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, on Saturday cast his vote during the National Assembly election in Abeokuta, Ogun State before the announcement of postponement by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Bankole, who arrived for the exercise at Ward 10, Iporo Sodeke Polling Unit in Abeokuta South of the state around 12.40pm, participated in the accreditation and voting before the announcement of the postponement. The Speaker, however, declined to comment during the voting and also refused to react to the postponement when contacted through his spokesman, Mr. Kayode Odunaro. But the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology, Mr. Abiodun Akinlade, chided INEC over the development. He said, ‘It shows that INEC is unfair to Nigerians. These Nigerians left their homes as early as 7am to exercise their rights and somebody announced the postponement around 2pm. “The National Assembly has given INEC boss, Prof Attahiru Jega, all the necessary support he needed. The INEC boss had even on several occasions, told the press that the commission was ready for the exercise. He had over seven months to prepare for the election, so he had no excuse.” He described the postponement as a huge financial cost to the party and the candidates, saying that the incident could lead to general apathy on the part of the electorate. By Francis Falola Courtesy Of: Punch

We’ve made a fool of ourselves — Fayemi

The postponement of the National Assembly elections announced by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has triggered criticisms from stakeholders in Ekiti State. Election to occupy the seat of Ekiti Central Senatorial District in five local government councils which make up the district and the election to Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 1 were earlier postponed due to non-availability of election materials. But the latest postponement filtered in after some areas had done accreditation and voting had started. Governor Kayode Fayemi said that it was a big embarrassment to the nation. Although the governor said that the postponement might be a process by the INEC to ensure a credible poll, he stated that it showed the lack of preparation on the part of the commission to undertake a big task. He said that Monday was too near and making materials available to the various units across the nation might not be possible. Fayemi said, “I think it is unfortunate. No matter what might have transpired, it reflects ill-preparedness. The postponement shows ill-preparedness on the part of the commission. It may be in the process of trying to have a credible election but this is an embarrassment “We have made a complete fool of ourselves before the international community. Countries that are not as endowed with human and material resources as Nigeria conduct credible elections without postponement.” Fayemi said that he had monitored polls in at least 30 countries and he never saw this type of embarrassment. Although, he said that Jega was a man of integrity, he reasoned that integrity alone could not guarantee a successful and credible poll for the nation. He said that the failure was as a result of systemic rot, adding that the system needed a complete overhauling. The governor also said that he got information that security presence in the state was not adequate, saying that the situation could give some unscrupulous politicians the boldness to engage in snatching of election materials. The Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria in the state, Chief Jide Awe and his colleague from the Peoples Democratic Party, who visited the INEC office in Ado-Ekiti described the postponement as unfortunate. By FEMI MAKINDE Courtesy Of: Punch

Remi Tinubu chides INEC, appeals to voters for calm

Island: The Action Congress of Nigeria candidate for the Lagos Central Senatorial district, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has expressed her disappointment with the postponement of the National Assembly election. “I am terribly disappointed by this postponement by the Independent National Electoral Commission. It shows that it was not really prepared for the exercise. We will not be discouraged, anytime they say the election will come up, we are ready,” she said. The senatorial candidate who was number 80 among the 138 voters who had turned up to cast their their votes at polling unit 034 on Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi, successfully did her verification and was waiting to cast her vote when the postponement was announced. Clad in Ankara, Tinubu and her neighbours were full of expectations before the rude news hit them. “I am appealing to the voters not to be discouraged but to remain calm, and wait for the INEC to give us the new date,” she stated. About 13 voters had cast their votes before the voters heard that the election had been postponed. Also reacting to the shocking news, Mr. Wahab Alawiye King, a candidate seeking re-election into the Lagos House of Assembly to represent Lagos Island, could not hide his anger. While condemning INEC’s action, he said this underscored the fact that the electoral body could not conduct free and fair election. “From this rude shock from INEC, it’s glaring that the electoral body has failed. The government at the centre had rigged in the past and this time around we are ready for them. It is a failure on the part of INEC,” he stressed. By SAMUEL AWOYINFA, Adeola Balogun and Kemi Lawal Courtesy Of: Punch

ACN rejects Monday date for poll, PDP shocked

The Action Congress of Nigeria has rejected the postponement of the National Assembly election to Monday. In a statement issued in Ilorin on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also described the ‘bungling’ of the National Assembly poll as “a national calamity and an avoidable embarrassment, which will further expose Nigeria to ridicule in the comity of nations.” It stated that the National Assembly election should be held on April 9 while the presidential poll be postponed to the middle of the upper week, and the governorship/state house of assembly election can still be held on April 16. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Council has expressed ‘shock and consternation’ at the circumstances that led to the postponement of the election. “Given the enormous resources and logistic preparations that INEC claimed to have put in place, we are at a loss as to why there were this kind of avoidable lapses at the last minute.“This act of negligence is capable of portraying INEC in bad light and many are likely to question its ability to conduct credible elections.” By Agency reporter Courtesy Of: Punch

Ex-Delta State gov, James Ibori, freed

A court in the United Arab Emirates has granted bail to a former governor of Delta State, Mr. James Ibori, on health grounds. Reports said Ibori, whose health had deteriorated rapidly since his incarceration,w as freed on Wednesday by a court. The former governor has been held in Dubai since July 2010 on a pending deportation request from the United Kingdom. He had been expected to be extradited to the UK to face trial on money laundering and other graft charges. By Agency reporter Courtesy Of: Punch

Postponement of National Assembly election okay –Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said the Independent National Electoral Commission’s postponement of the National Assembly election would give the agency more time to prepare for better results. Speaking with the Nigerian Television Authority at his country home in Otuoke, Bayelsa State after the announcement of the postponement, Jonathan said his faith in INEC’s ability to conduct credible, free and fair elections remained unshaken.He assured Nigerians and the international community that the results of the 2011 elections would be acceptable to all. By Agency reporter Courtesy Of: Punch