Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the excuse of logistical crisis given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections was not sufficient and describing it flimsy.

The party said the postponement of the elections by INEC was capable of causing political crisis in the country.

It however declared its resolve to maintain peace and orderliness, just as it said that it would not allow INEC to push its members to what it termed political crisis.

The National Vice Chairman (South West) of the party, Dr Eddy Olafeso in a statement issued by the party’s Zonal Publicity Secretary, Mr Ayo Fadaka said the PDP was worried by the conduct of INEC and expressed reservations on the credibility of elections the commission would conduct.

Olafeso said: “We take due cognizance of the last minute postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections by INEC based on a flimsy excuse of logistical crisis, particularly in view of the numerous declarations of its preparedness to prosecute the elections on the dates previously fixed by it.

“This development however puts a lie to INEC’s numerous grandstanding and pointedly confirms its unpreparedness to conduct a nationwide election, an intention consistent with the desires of the APC, which if executed, would have immediately created a political crisis in our nation.

“It is important to state that the conduct of INEC since the Buhari years has been anything but unsatisfactory as it has always been shoddy in its preparations and execution of various bye-elections and isolated gubernatorial elections. This sloppiness must stop and INEC must be prepared to discharge its allocated responsibilities firmly on the new dates fixed for the elections.

“Nigerians are prepared to perform their civic responsibilities to elect leaders that will steer the affairs of the nation for the next four years and will not in any manner excuse any action or insidious plan designed to circumvent or compromise that desire.

“We are also curious to know the classes of sensitive materials that have been allocated and distributed in some states and what actions are being taken to protect them.

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“For sure, we are aware that ballot papers have been distributed in some states in the North West zone and some other places particularly in the North, thus we ask INEC what its plans are to safeguard them or out rightly change same nationally.

“We declare that we are only interested in a free and fair election and therefore demand that INEC must discharge its responsibilities professionally in the interest of the peace and tranquillity of our dear nation. There must continue to remain a prosperous Nigeria after the elections,” he added.

Meanwhile, prospective voters in Ondo State have expressed disappointment with the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying there was no reason strong enough to postpone the polls.

Many of the prospective voters had converged on the polling centres before they got wind of the development, a situation which many of them said made them offended.

In some of the polling centres visited in Akure, including Gbogi, Saint Thomas, Arakale, Cathedral and Oja Oba, the prospective voters blamed INEC for wasting their time and resources as many of them claimed to have travelled from various places to ensure that they exercised their franchise.

One of them, Ayo Atolagbe, said: “I came all the way from Ilesa where I work to vote in my home town, only to wake up to this disappointing news. I am disappointed in INEC and doubt if anything reliable cancome out of the electoral body in future.”

The situation also affected economic and commercial activities in many parts of the state as markets, shops and other commercial places were closed.

This was because many of the residents had thought that elections would hold and the restriction placed on movements would affect them.

Commutters also had a woeful tale to share as commercial vehicles operators were not out on the roads for better part of the day believing that elections would hold.

Many travellers groaned in a bid to return to their various destinations after it became clear that the election had been postponed.