Enyeribe Ejiogu  (Lagos), Jeff Amechi Agbodo (Onitsha), Ahmed Abubakar (Dutse), Clement Adeyi (Osogbo), Raphael Ede (Enugu), Judex Okoro (Calabar) and Rose Ejembi (Makurdi)

The firestorm of condemnation which hit the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, following the sudden postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections just few hours before accreditation of voters was due to commence across the country, has continued to roll from state to state as aggrieved Nigerians, who had closed their businesses in compliance with the restriction of movement imposed by the security agencies to facilitate the electoral process, lament over the horrendous they incurred.

Despite the lifting of the restriction-of-movement order, the majority of shops in markets in major commercial centres remained shut even as the streets, which on normal days bustled with commuter buses and commercial tricycles, were essentially empty of these vehicles as most people stayed back at home, discussing and lamenting over the postponement.

ANAMBRA

In all the major markets in Onitsha and its environs, shops still remained shut as traders complied with the order for closure of the markets. Even with the lifting the restriction of movement order, only few commercial vehicles were seen on the roads at the time of filling this report.

Sunday Sun observed that some people, mostly men, gathered in groups at the post office area, to discuss the sudden postponement of the election after INEC had assured Nigerians that it was ready for the election.

They argued that the ruling party and INEC had hidden agenda to postpone the election, warning that if INEC failed to conduct free, fair and credible elections it may lead to serious crisis that may be difficult to control as most Nigerians wanted their votes to be counted this time.

A trader, Mr. James Udoka, lamented that the traders in the main market and other markets in Onitsha lost billions because of the postponement, adding that with the development the markets would be shut down for three conservative Saturdays for presidential and governorship elections.

“We are the most hit in this drama called election postponement. We are going to lose a lot of money over N1billion. We had already shut the market today (yesterday) for the presidential election and they shifted it to next Saturday, which means that we are going to close the market again and will also close for governorship election. It is a huge loss for us, they would have announced the postponement early enough to enable us open the markets but with this sudden postponement at midnight all the markets will remain closed until Monday.”

A resident of Onitsha, Mrs. Janet Onukwe, gave a different perspective of the loss her family suffered due to the postponement: “My younger brother had made all the necessary arrangements for his wedding to hold on February 23. He had earlier wanted to wed on the Saturday after Valentine but because of the scheduled election (February 16) he shifted it to February 23. Now INEC suddenly postponed the election and shifted it to the same date. He is confused and downcast. I have been calling his phone line but he refused to answer me. I have to go to house, I hope he will not act rashly.”

An INEC adhoc staff, Miss Ogechi Umeazo, narrated how she was stranded at headquarters of Oyi Local Government Area at Nteje, the collation centre for Anambra North district because she had no money on her to go back home when the news of the postponement was broken to them at the centre.

She said that it was a Good Samaritan that gave her N1000 for transport fare, wondering why INEC knew they were not ready and called everybody out for the exercise, adding, “this postponement will affect the election negatively next time.”

JIGAWA

In Dutse, Jigawa State, by 10.00am yesterday, most residents were still unaware of the one-week shift of the presidential and national assembly elections, which made them feel relaxed and wait for the commencement of the accreditation exercise.

An All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain in Jigawa Alhaji Farouk Adamu Aliyu said the postponement of the election was an indication of the gross incompetence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the election‎.

Alhaji Farouk declared that the INEC chairman ought to have resigned his position for taking Nigerians through this rigorous path of election postponement.

He said: “Why would the commission deceive Nigerians up to 3.00 am before they could announce to us that the election would no longer hold?”

‎He said the weeklong shift has already resulted in colossal loss by the electorate who had travelled from all over the world to this country while some have travelled across the states for the purpose of the election only to be disappointed.

“The INEC Chairman does not even have the courtesy to apologise to Nigerians that went to bed before the announcement. In serious civilised countries that professor ought to have resigned his position,” he stated.

The Jigawa State office of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the commission had since retrieved the consignment of the sensitive materials so far distributed to six out of 27 local government councils of the state.

The Administrative Secretary of the commision, Ahmed Ado Daneji, made this known to newsmen in Dutse though he did not mention the names of the local government councils that had earlier received the consignments.

He added that the consignment of the sensitive materials that were distributed under heavy security, were also returned to the state office of the commission under same heavy security.

On whether the consignments of the sensitive materials meant for the state, would be returned to Central Bank until next election, Daneji, said the materials would remain under the custody of the commission under heavy security throughout the period of the elections.

OSUN

Expressing his views on the losses occasioned by the postponement, Chairman of the Osun State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Soji Adagunodo, said the postponement had caused millions of Nigerians to forfeit diverse business opportunities running into billions of naira for the sake of the elections.

He lamented that the large chunk of the electorate were market men and women who had closed their shops and might have travelled to different places where they registered to vote. He added that banks and other business organisations also closed for business.

He explained further: “As for INEC, they have not complained of funds. They only complained of logistic challenges. So, we hope that they would live up to expectation despite the huge costs that the postponement may have caused.

“We have another one week from now and in further preparation, we expect  INEC to be loyal to the Independence of this country and not a particular interest.

“We understand the game of APC and the INEC. It’s a ploy to rig the election. Postponement or no postponement, PDP is ready and will win this election.”

In reaction, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the postponement of the election might lead to voter apathy when the exercise would take place based on the new schedules.

The party’s spokesman, Mr Kunle Oyatomi who stated this yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, added that the postponement did not help the nation’s nascent democratic process.

He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should have foreseen the postponement before now.

“There is no doubt that we had witnessed postponement of elections in Nigeria before now, but we have never had it this way when announcement would be made in the wee hours of the day when people were already asleep,” he noted.

The Executive Director of Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI), Mr Olaniyi Ajibola, told Sunday Sun in a chat that the postponement had inflicted huge losses on the citizenry and the national economy.

“Sincerely, the loss incurred by the people as a result of the postponement is much. It is obvious that the development clearly falls short of every democratic standard all over the world. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must go back to its drawing board and get properly prepared for this national assignment of utmost importance,” Ajibola said.

“It has cost the tourism, seaport, entertainment industries and many others a lot of fortune. It will be difficult to recover the losses,” he added.

An Abuja based businessman, Mr Olawale Olakanmi, while recounting the loss he had incurred from the postponement said: “Due to the election, I postponed my wedding from this Saturday, February 16 (yesterday) to next Saturday. I suffered a lot of loss due to the postponement. Then I travelled to Osogbo for the wedding next Saturday only for me to wake up this Saturday morning (yesterday), to hear that the elections had been postponed till next Saturday when my wedding is supposed to hold. Now, my wife and I are confused because we have spent a lot of money on preparation.  As it is now, I don’t know whether to go back to my base or not. We have printed invitation cards, how can we announce a new date? This is painful.”

Until about 9.30am, after the postponement, only few vehicles and motorbikes were seen plying the major roads in Osogbo. Many shops, offices and markets remain closed. But as at 10.0 am, normalcy returned with people going about their normal businesses. Regular vehicular movement resumed. The popular Igbana and Alekuwodo markets opened for business as usual but many shops in different parts of the town remained closed to business.

ENUGU

Residents and business owners in Enugu State yesterday expressed anger over the postponement of the presidential and national assembly elections, lamenting that the development had inflicted incalculable losses on them.

Prior to the postponement, all the markets in the state were closed down yesterday to enable the traders to participate in the poll and many had travelled to their various registration areas for the election only to be greeted yesterday morning with the news of the postponement.

“It is ridiculous. It is unacceptable and if this is part of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, plan to perfect their plan to rig the election it will not work,” Onyedika Onovo, a civil servant told Sunday Sun in chat.

The manager of an event centre, Okeafor Chukwuemeka, told our correspondent that apart from the loss incurred from the closure of the facility in readiness for the election, the postponement of the exercise to next week has also caused them problems in advance.

According to him, clients, who had booked their facility for next week are already demanding for a refund as a result of the development.

He said: “We are perhaps the biggest losers of this sad situation. While we are still lamenting the revenue we have lost today (yesterday), we are already facing more troubles for next week.

“Some clients are already requesting for a refund because they also cannot hold their ceremonies next Saturday as a result of the postponement. This is very sad.”

A handful of residents, who also decried the effect of the disruption on their daily activities, said that they have been left stranded in their various houses on a day they had many things originally planned out.

According to them, the funds they all plugged into preparing for the exercise had all been wasted.

CROSS RIVER

The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chapter in Cross River State, Ntufam Wdim Inok, and the National Publicity Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Bishop Emmah Isong, have kicked against the postponement of the general elections describing it as an attempt to disenfranchise Nigerians.

They said it was worrisome that the Independent National Election Commission, INEC, allowed voters who travelled to their respective communities where they registered to vote only for the commission to cancel the exercise at the wee hours.

Esi Inok said: “INEC has no cogent reasons to cancel the election. It calls for concern and brings into question the integrity of the commission towards conducting a credible election.

“However, I call on Cross Riverians to remain claim. I advice the electorate across the state not to be disillusioned by the postponement and should rather come out en mass and vote on the rescheduled dates.”

Also speaking, Bishop Emmah Isong, said: “It is absolutely wrong and insensitive for INEC to wake up by about 3:00am on election day to announce postponement of election after millions of Nigerians had spent money and taken risks to travel home to cast their votes.

“I think the commission has shown again that they wasted four years planning nothing even after the federal government had given them all the necessary logistics to give the nation something to smile home with. Besides, I hope this is not another way to disenfranchise Nigerians as many of them may not have the resources to travel again on February 23.

“Well, it is hoped that the new dates would not be altered and therefore an opportunity for INEC to prove critics wrong. I enjoin the voters not to relent or despair in the midst of uncertainty by still turning out to vote.”

Expressing dismay at the INEC decision to shift the election, a few traders at the popular Watt and Etim Edem markets said they had lost hundreds of thousands of naira to the cancellations and wondered why the commission did not announce the postponement early enough to save the situation.

One of the traders, who simply gave his name as Emmanuel Asuquo, said he was surprised to hear from local radio station about 7:00am that the election had been shifted and he had to come and open shop.

Asuquo, who operates a provision shop at Goldie-Watt market axis, said since he came out he had not sold anything as there were no customers because a lot of people travelled home to vote. He said that traders were the worst hit as they had lost millions by closing shops.

The story was the same for drivers at Etim Edem Park where there were few buses and cars but no passengers as at 10:00am.

A member of NURTW, Edet Akpan, said: “What type of country is this? If they were not ready why did they tell us to close our small business? Our union members are very sad because we have lost this Saturday (yesterday) because some of us who had been booked for this weekend had to shift to next weekend and they are now saying another Saturday no business. It means we have lost two Saturdays just for election.”

BENUE

From Makurdi, the Benue State capital, the state chapter of the PDP gave knocks to INEC for causing horrendous economic loss to the country, pain and anger.

In a statement signed by its state Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iyortyom and made available to Sunday Sun, the party lamented that most Nigerians who had travelled home from their places of work to vote incurred losses and were  caught unprepared to bear the attendant additional cost of undertaking the exercise all over again next Saturday.

“National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were recruited as adhoc staff for the election travelled over long distances at their own expenses and had to pass the night in open spaces under inhumane conditions, only to be left high and dry and battling to find their way back.

“Businesses were closed for the day, schools took the mid-term break and scheduled to resume after the elections, in conformity with an already structured calendar, which would now have to be tampered with.”

Iyortyom while condemning the development opined that the sense of despair, anger and pain is so palpable across the country that the situation rightly qualifies as a national emergency.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State condemns this postponement as a national calamity and lays the blame squarely at the doorsteps of the All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“PDP sympathies with Nigerians over the incalculable losses they have incurred, both material, psychological and sundry, and this represents the climax of the close to four years of an era characterised by misery, lack of direction and insensitivity under the rule of APC.”

He said it was unacceptable that INEC under the supervising watch of Buhari/APC would cite “logistical reasons” as its alibi for calling off the elections that should have held today (yesterday), adding, “for the electoral umpire to have waited till only hours to the commencement of casting of ballots before announcing the postponement smacks of a hidden agenda against the mass voting populations of this country.

“PDP in Benue State is aware that this postponement gifts the ruling APC manifest advantages in the regard that the party will not suffer any hiccups to its finances which are drawn wholly from various channels of the public coffers, but the opposition parties, like PDP, having expended huge resources already on the postponed poll, will have to go through another difficult process of mobilising funds for the rescheduled vote.”

Iyortyom, however, urged Nigerians resident and voting in Benue State to be steadfast and not be discouraged by this obvious ploy of a postponement targeting to dampen their desire to vote and as such disenfranchise them.

“We are confident that together we will turn our feelings of anguish and the pains occasioned on us by this callously executed postponement into a positive force and deploy same assiduously to push APC and its costly brand of misrule out of power,” he said.

BORNO

Timothy Olanrewaju (Maiduguri) and Gyang Bere (Jos)

As it happened in other parts of the country, voters in Maiduguri, Borno State capital were equally stranded by the postponement.

One of them, Adamu Mohammed lamented: “It is worrisome and I feel concerned about it. I came from Abuja since a Thursday to vote but the postponement has affected my schedule now. I don’t think I will come back here next Saturday again.”

The street of Maiduguri was largely deserted till moon many residents did not come out of their houses till evening time.

Also, scores of displaced persons at the Government College IDPs camp complained that their local government leaders abandoned them.

“We were brought to Maiduguri from Monguno to vote since Thursday. I fled Kukawa to Monguno after Boko Haram attacked Doro Baga last year,” Ali Bukar told Sunday Sun.

He said many of them were brought to Maiduguri to vote having shifted their polling unit to the state capital but said they were abandoned by their council leadership since the announcement of poll shift.

“We have no food now.  The arrangement before was that we would go back to Monguno on Sunday (today) after the election but INEC postponed it. We have been left here to suffer,” he said.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mohammed Ibrahim on Friday said IDPs from five local governments including Abadam, Marte, Kala Balge, Kukawa and Guzamala local governments had been scheduled to cast their votes out of their local area due to security problem.

He said IDPs from Kukawa and Abadsm were to vote in Maiduguri while other three local governments were scheduled to cast their votes at Monguno and Ngala.

Plateau residents groan as INEC postponed election

From Gyang Bere, Jos

Most residents of Plateau State were disappointed yesterday when they woke up in the morning with high hope of going to cast their votes only to be told that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had postponed the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Those who were mostly affected by the abrupt decision of INEC included businessmen who had traveled far to the polling units, where they were expected to exercise their franchise.

It was observed that food vendors in the state had closed down their business with the hope of going to cast their votes. Major supper markets and recreational centres had published notice of closure of businesses because of the elections.

Sunday Sun gathered that it took some filling stations several hours to open up while others did not open at all because the owners had traveled to their respective villages to cast their votes.

Although business activities gradually began to pick up later in the day in the state capital, citizens felt disappointed with the development. 

Bitrus John, a businessman in Nasarawa State, who traveled to Plateau State to cast his vote, described postponement as an attempt to inflict hardship and pain on Nigerians.

He lamented that after suspending his business and spent money to travel home, it was very painful that the election was postponed few hours to the commencement of accreditation.