Human Rights lawyer, Dr. Kayode
Ajulo has condemned postponement of the presidential and national assembly
elections by Independent National Electoral Commission, saying it is
unfortunate and embarrassing. He therefore demanded the electoral commission
should apologize to Nigerians, foreign stakeholders as well as mitigate cost.
THE FULL TEXT:
The
dramatic development that happened to the effect of elections postponement,
over night to its conduct, by the Independent National Electoral Commission,
INEC, is simply unfortunate as well as embarrassing.
As adduced by INEC, the
reasons presented as alibi for the ill-timed postponement of the
Presidential and National Assembly election being for
“logistics” reasons flies in the face of logic and portrays Nigeria
as being unserious.
For elections whose dating has been
done for over a year and for which INEC, its handlers, has repeatedly
expressed preparedness towards the February 16th, 2019, it can only be
described as unfortunate and regrettable receiving the news of a reschedule
from the commission at a time when the nation was about commencing the voting
process, when election observers from the various parts of the globe were
already at duty posts.
And INEC announced the unfortunate
alteration without a word of apology to the various stakeholders, particularly
the Nigerian voters who have journeyed to far distances to perform the
all important civil rights.
Citizens who have put in risks of
various proportions to get to different locations for voting deserve apologies.
Observers with calculated expenses, candidates whose budgets have been tampered
with, innocent corp members who bears huge risks in the interest of the
country, all deserve a word of consolation.
It is unacceptable for INEC, who
solely bears the blame for this embarrassing development to have merely
announced a reschedule which comes with such astromical costs and consequences
without a word to the effect of penitence and sore apologies.
INEC, having shifted its timetable,
lacks justification to shut out parties/candidates for failure to meet
deadlines for presenting candidates as seen in Rivers, Zamfara and other
States. Does INEC considers these dear costs? Does it weigh the worth of these
costs and thinks of mitigating them? These are queries INEC must act on.
It’s therefore inexcusable for a
graphic expression of apology to be delayed any further, lest the commission
commits further goofing and burns it goodwill incrementally. Beyond
apologising, however, earnest efforts must be made to ensure that this
manner of almost regular but needless alternations in our electoral processes
are discontinued.
@Kayode Ajulo
