Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ADV) – Nigerian opposition party has slammed Buhari for orchestrating the postponement of the long-awaited presidential poll just hours to the event.
In a statement early Saturday, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar accused President Muhammadu Buhari of manipulating the INEC to disenfranchise the Nigerian people.
Abubakar wrote: “This postponement is obviously a case of the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob. By instigating this postponement, the Buhari administration hopes to disenfranchise the Nigerian electorate in order to ensure that turn out is low on the rescheduled date.”
He claimed that the President instigated the postponement because it was obvious he (Buhari) had fallen out of favour with the people.
Atiku urged Nigerians to frustrate all plans aimed at disenfranchising them, by coming out in even greater numbers on Saturday, February 23 and Saturday, March 9, respectively.
He urged Nigerians to maintain peace and be law-abiding, noting that in a few days time they will be able to give the present government a verdict via the polls.
“I call on all Nigerians to be patient. We have tolerated the maladministration of this government for four years. We can extend our tolerance a few more days and give them our verdict via our votes,” he said.
The PDP and many Nigerian politicians, as well as some associations, have also condemned the action of INEC. For instance, the National Association of the Nigerian Students (NANS), has condemned the postponement, describing the action as “wasteful’’.
The postponement will surely disenfranchise many Nigerians since voters can only vote where they are registered. And most voters, who traveled out will not wait for a week in order to cast their votes nor engage in traveling back to the locations where they registered in order to cast their votes.
For his part, the incumbent and outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari has vehemently condemned the postponement saying: “I am deeply disappointed that despite the long notice given and our preparations both locally and internationally, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the polls within hours of its commencement.”
He noted that many Nigerians have traveled to various locations to exercise their right to vote, and international observers are gathered and that INEC themselves have given assurances, day after day and almost hour after hour that they are in complete readiness for the elections.
Buhari urged INEC “to ensure not only that polling materials are not only distributed but also safe and do not get into wrong hands…that everything is done to avoid the lapses that resulted in this unfortunate postponement and ensure a free and fair election on the rescheduled dates”.
Adding his voice to the motion, the ruling APC Campaign Council has condemned the decision of the INEC in a statement signed by the Director, Strategic Communications of the Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, condemning the postponement.
It noted that President Muhammadu Buhari had since cooperated fully with INEC by ensuring that everything it demanded to conduct free and fair elections was 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,” it said.
It appealed to Nigerians and their supporters to be patient, calm and resolute despite the setback that it termed as “temporary”.
© Bur-csa – S.E / From our regional correspondent Tamba Jean-Matthew III – African Daily Voice (ADV) – Follow us on Twitter : @ADVinfo_eng
