06 April 2011

By Sule Ya'u Sule

The ANPP presidential candidate Malama Ibrahim Shekarau has described the postponement of the Saturday National Assembly election as a shocking and surprising issue to the teaming Nigerians.

The ANPP flag bearer was speaking to pressmen at the Kano state government House, Shortly after the announcement of the postponement of the election nation wide, on Saturday.

He said that "the announcement has come to us a great shock and surprise but after the chairman's explanations I think we should give him the benefit of doubt"

Entertaining fear on the safety and the security of the ballot already issued out to the voters before the sudden postponement of the election, the ANPP presidential candidate challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the validity of the ballot papers so that Nigerians will be confident that the ballot to be used on the later date of the election have not been tampered with.

He explained that the ballot papers are sensitive electoral materials that are usually been kept in central bank's strong room, but now that some them are already out, INEC should find realistic ways of balancing the shortfall as well as ensured that must not be a way that may led to electoral malpractices by those in possession of the papers.

While joining other Nigerians in prayers for the unfortunate event, Malam Shekarau expressed hope that the postponement will be a blessing, calling on all the eligible voters to be patient and come out en-mass to cast their votes on the new date of the election.

Earlier before the sudden postponement of the election, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau was at his Giginyu ward in Nassarawa local government of the state, where he was accredited before the election proper which was postponed to a later date.

In his reaction to the election postponement, Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya described the postponement of the Saturday election as most unfortunate, undesirable as embarrassing to the country especially at this time when Nigerians have confidence in the INEC.

Senator Gaya who is the Deputy Minority Whip and the senatorial candidate for Kano South under the platform of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) added that "I think the Senate should summon the INEC chairman Professor Jega to come and explain the justification behind the hasty postponement of the election on the voting day.

According to him, before the hasty postponement of the election, he has already been accredited in his Senatorial district, "and I have even casted my vote just like over 80 per cent of the electorate in my senatorial district"

While thanking all the eligible voters in his senatorial district and the state at large for taking time to be out to exercise their voting rights, he appealed to them to be patient and be available on the election re-scheduled date so as to ensure that they casted their votes and wisely.

Election Postponement Is Ill- Omen

The Shekarau For Nigeria (SFN) is highly alarmed at the abrupt postponement of the April 2nd National Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today. This act is disappointing, uninspiring and could be seen as calculated to throw the opposition plans into disarray to pave the way for the type of elections the ruling party has been known to use for rigging itself into power for the past twelve years. The Federal Government must come up with the whole truth about the postponement of the elections till Monday 4th April and apologise for the shameful start to the 2011 general elections.

Beyond this, we need to realize that the elections slated for Monday are not feasible by any stretch of the imagination. If it took INEC the whole of six months of preparations only to stop the exercise midway, it is impractical for it to sort out the logistical upset in 36 hours. Even more critically, there is now no way of ensuring that sensitive materials already issued out before the stop order would be accounted for. Also, in areas where ballot papers were issued and used, how would INEC replace these ballot papers within the short interval?

We at SFN also call on INEC to provide funding for the millions of polling agents engaged and paid for the day's job, if it insists on going on with balloting on Monday. Since the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), for instance, does not command the nearly limitless resources in the control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it would be very difficult for us to source the funds for a fresh round of hiring polling agents for Monday's polls. Even if some of the other parties have the funds, how could they access them over the weekend for Monday's exercise?

We also need to remind the PDP that most Nigerians are now abreast with their gimmicks which have continued to frustrate free, fair and credible elections since the return of democratic governance in 1999. It would no longer be business as usual for mandate robbers and vote riggers.

As we round up our campaign for the election of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau (Sardaunan Kano), the ANPP Presidential candidate for next week's election, we are encouraged by the massive support shown for our promise to make Nigeria great.


SIGNED:

Dr. Muhammad Sani Bello,
Director-General,
Shekarau For Nigeria

©  EsinIslam.Com

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