Nigerians have expressed their frustrations at the last minute postponement of the Presidential election scheduled for Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The postponement was announced by INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu around 3am Saturday, amidst reports of logistics problems faced by the commission.
According to INEC, the Presidential and House of Assembly polls have now been shifted to next Saturday. While the Governorship and state assembly elections will take place on 9 March, instead of 2 March as initially scheduled.
It was to the consternation of Nigerians as everyone, except INEC had put in place different arrangements for the elections and were ready. some travelled far distances hoping to cast their ballot. Many had even gone ahead to shift various events scheduled for today to next week. Those hopes have now been dashed and many will rue the decision for days.
Some reactions on twitter:
INEC said logistics. "Logistsics" is one of the most fraudulently ambiguous words in the Nigerian lexicon. Like love, it covers a multitude of sins.#NigeriaDecides2019
— Ayo Sogunro (@ayosogunro) February 16, 2019
Dr., after perusing the press release, I came to a conclusion that INEC has no iota of respect for the electorates. No courtesy of "We apologize for any I conveniences this may have caused"
— INEC Postponement #NigeriaDecides2019 (@Sammieston) February 16, 2019
So INEC had to make sure that those traveling to vote have reached their various destinations before they released the most idiotic news. This is Terribly Unfair to Nigerians.
— Abdool Moh  (@abdool_moh) February 16, 2019
https://twitter.com/MrAbuSidiq/status/1096639592357396481?s=19
Will INEC retrieve materials already deployed to States? Will they be secured for one week? Do we trust our politicians not to infiltrate the workers in the building where materials are kept, starts a fire or steal the materials?
— Oyèyẹmà Bámidélé (@Chrisbamidele) February 16, 2019
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, stand your ground, Nigerians are behind you. Do NOT give in to the pressure to stagger the elections. Postpone it if you must but NOOOOOO to staggering it.
— Mazi Chima Amadi Ph.D (@AMADICHIMA) February 15, 2019
Mr. President was already in Daura in Katsina State and the VP already in Lagos to vote this morning before the postponement just announced by INEC. This is truly disappointing, but the march to the Next Level continues. Nigeria will prevail
— Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) February 16, 2019
So because of election you shifted your wedding from this Saturday to next Saturday, only to discover that INEC works with your village people 😂#NigeriaDesides2019#NigeraDecides#Elections2019#NigeriaVotes#AtikuOurPresident pic.twitter.com/1uJi0vzWf7
— Bose Tinubu (@BoseTinubu) February 16, 2019
INEC has the guts to postpone an election millions of schools & businesses all over the country halted all their activities for #Sad #sendless #Elections2019 pic.twitter.com/5MlgFUol0a
— Tookie (@Charlzfranklino) February 16, 2019
@inecnigeria under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is obviously acting a script prepared by the Presidency cabal but Nigerians will defeat them all together.
— Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) February 16, 2019
However, reacting to the postponement in a statement through the spokesperson of President Muhammadu Buhari Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Festus Keyamo, the APC condemned the postponement but went further to urge its supporters to remain patient and determined.
“We have just received with great disappointment and disillusionment the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its decision to postpone the Presidential/National Assembly and Gubernatorial/House of Assembly Elections to Saturday, February 23, 2019, and Saturday, March 9, 2019, respectively.
“We condemn and deprecate this tardiness of the electoral umpire in the strongest terms possible.
“President Muhammadu Buhari had since cooperated fully with INEC by ensuring EVERYTHING it demanded to conduct free and fair elections were promptly made available to it.
“This news is, therefore, a huge disappointment to us and to our teeming supporters nationwide and around the world, many of whom have come into the country to exercise their franchise.
“Now, it may be up to its old trick again. We have earlier raised the alarm that the PDP is bent on discrediting this process the moment it realized it cannot make up the numbers to win this election.
“We are only urging INEC not collude with the PDP on this. We are truly worried because as early as Friday morning, some known PDP Social Media influencers unwittingly announced this postponement, but quickly deleted the message and apologized to the public that it was fake news. We do not want to be forced to a situation of announcing our total loss of confidence in INEC, because we know where that would leave our democracy.”
