The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) in Anambra State says it has started taking custody of materials deployed for Saturday’s postponed elections to ensure their safety.
According to the INEC Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Leo Nkedife, ballot papers and result sheets were being returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria, Awka headqaurters from where they were earlier distributed.
Nkedife, who claimed that the Smart Card Readers were being delivered to the State INEC headquarters for adequate protection, could not confirm the Local Government Areas that had completely returned their electoral materials.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders in Anambra State have taken INEC to cleaners for postponing the 16th February 2019 election to 23 February.
Speaking to Blueprint correspondent, Mr Godwin Ezeemo, an industrialist, described the INEC election postponment as a huge embracement to Nigeria, which has reduced the worth of the country before comity of nations.
Ezeemo, who maintained that INEC owed Nigerians more explanation than mere logistics challenges they anchored the election shift to, said the commission’s unwillingness to give Nigerians credible elections was embarrassing.
According to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, the logistics expenses of electorate who travelled far and near to perform their civic responsibility was immeasurable, even as INEC by the action has exposed its incompetency, incredibility and unreliability.
He advised the Chairman of the electoral umpire, Professor Yakubu Mamood to put his name in sands of time by conducting a credible elections on the said new dates, because according to him, Nigerians are wiser in political actitivies and would calm down in face of heavy provocation till their goal of enthroning sound leadership was achieved.
On her part, Prof Stella Okunna, first female Professor Mass Communication and Dean faculty of Social Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said the situation had set a bad precedence.
Also speaking, Chief Chris Elumunoh, former state president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, wondered why INEC was not ready when security chiefs were ready.
Elumunoh, however, urged the INEC to conduct the elections as Nigerians were desirous of moving to next level.
Anambra state PDP Chairman, Ndubuisi Nwobu, described the postponment as a huge embracement to the country which has never happened in annals of the nation’s history.
Nwobu said that it showed how the nation has been governed for the past three and half years, as well as shows that it lacks planning and have incompetent managers.
He, however, urged PDP faithful to remain calm and play by the electoral law, assuring that if elections are cancelled 10 times, Nigerians would still vote out bad governance.
