Issa Aremu Faults INEC As Kaduna PDP Berates APC

Eniola Olayemi

Postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has continued to generate diverse reactions across the country.

Days after the electoral umpire made the announcement, there has been apprehension about the proposed shift in the date of the polls as various stakeholders warned INEC against not sticking to the new dates set for the elections.

A former vice president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Issa Aremu, and chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, Mr. Hassan Hyet, are among those who reacted to the poll shift.

The presidential and National Assembly elections initially scheduled for Saturday last week have been shifted to February 23.

Similarly, INEC postponed the governorship and House of Assembly elections earlier fixed for March 2 till March 9.

In his reaction, Aremu described the announcement by INEC just six hours to the elections as gross incompetence and insensitivity on the part of the commission.

He also said it was an insult to Nigerians who had anticipated to participate in the process of choosing their next leaders.

The former NLC vice president condemned the reasons given by the electoral body for the postponement of the election, saying they were illogical.

He questioned why the commission did not communicate to the citizens about its inability to hold the elections weeks before the date.

Aremu added that the shift in the election has brought untold hardship to many eligible voters who had travelled to take part in the exercise.

He, therefore, called on the INEC leadership to issue a formal apology to Nigerians for shifting the dates for the elections.

On his part, the Kaduna PDP chairman said the postponement of the elections was part of the alleged interference of the Federal Government in the affairs of INEC.

He alleged that the government intended to thwart the elections because of the impending defeat starring the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the face.

Mr.  Hyet also described the postponement of the elections as a huge embarrassment to the nation, saying the entire world had looked up to Nigeria to conduct a hitch-free exercise.

He asked the electoral body to ensure that it addressed all logical challenges and put in place adequate measures that would guarantee smooth and credible elections.