Election Postponement: Attempts were made to sabotage INEC- Prof Yakubu

Chidi Samuel|

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu on Saturday said attempts were made to sabotage the commission’s preparation for the now postponed preidential and national assembly election.

Prof Yakubu made the allegation in Abuja while explaining the rationale behind the postponement to stakeholders at the International Conference Centre.

The electoral empire shifted the presidential and the national assembly election by a week barely four hours to the commencement of voting.

According to him, the postponement was not as a result of incompetence, security lapse or political interference and cited fire incidents in Abia, Plateau and Anambra states, to back up his claims.

“About thirteen hours ago, I conveyed to Nigerians the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reschedule the 2019 general elections by one week. Presidential and National Assembly earlier scheduled for 16th February 2019 will now hold on Saturday 23rd February 2019 while Governorship, State Assembly and FCT Area Council elections scheduled for 2nd March 2019 will now hold on Saturday 9th March 2019. The one-week adjustment was a painful one for lNEC but necessary in the overall interest of our democracy.”

“Nigerians will recall that when this Commission was appointed in November 2015, we promised Nigerians two cardinal things. First, we shall work hard to consolidate the improvements made in the management of elections in Nigeria since 20”. Secondly, we shall always be open, transparent and responsive. We have strived diligently to keep these promises in very trying circumstances.

“Apart from these logistical challenges, we also faced what may will be attempt to sabotage our preparations. In a space of two weeks, we had to deal with serious fire incidents in three of our offices in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, Qu’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State and our Anambra State Office at Awka. In all three cases. serious disruptions were occasioned by the fire, further diverting our attention from regular preparations to recovery from the impact of the incidents. In Isiala Ngwa South, hundreds of PVCs were burnt, necessitating the reocompiling of the affected cards and reprinting in time to ensure that the affected voters are not disenfranchised. I am glad that all the cards were quickly reprinted and made available for collection by their owners.”