Political gladiators in Oyo State among whom are former governor of the state, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, All Progressives Congress (APC), gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Action Democratic Party (ADP), candidate, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Wasiu Musah have expressed divergent views over the postponement of the yesterday’s elections.
DAILY POST recalls that INEC had in the early hours of Saturday announced the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections billed to take place on Saturday. The commission said it has shifted the elections and the next week gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections to Saturday, 23rd February and Saturday March 9th respectively.
But, Ladoja in his own view described the postponement as a “colosal loss for the country”.
Ladoja while addressing journalists noted that INEC chairman and other principal officers at the headquarters “should be sacked for lack of competence which resultantly subjected Nigeria to ridicule among the comity of nations”.
He noted that the police and army have mobilised just like the electoral officers before the election was postponed barely four hours before the commencement of the elections.
He wondered why INEC did not envisaged the postponement on Thursday and instead continued to assure people that everything was set for the elections, telling the world that the materials are deposited at CBN.
The Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland said the implication of the postponement is that the whole world is not taking us seriously again.
He worried that schools have closed down, asking if the students are still going to stay at home again till next week.
He said it took the INEC four years before they knew that the election was going to be today asking how many businessmen will take you seriously especially that Nigeria wants businessmen to come from abroad when you cannot even predict and organise simple elections.
Ladoja said he has lost confidence in INEC when they cannot organise the elections, calling on INEC to be reasonable by cancelling the distributed ballot papers because they would have leaked by now and that would cost billions to do again.
He described INEC’s action as “criminal negligence” and charged the President to sack INEC officials at the National headquarters because they have destroyed the credibility of Nigeria and Nigerians in the international community.
Adelabu while speaking urged electorate in the state and the country in general to be more vigilant especially now that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has postponement the general elections by one week.
The APC candidate in a statement made available to DAILY POST by the spokesman of Friends of Bayo Adelabu (FOBA) Dr. Bayo Busari urged the electorate not to be discouraged by the election postponement but be more vigilant.
Busari said, “The gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has called on the electorate to be eternally vigilant.
“Adelabu however appealed to the voters not to be discouraged by the shift in election dates. APC candidates in this year’s general elections have done their best in the campaigns. Adelabu expressed the confidence that the shift was just a little delay in their date of victory.
“INEC should remain impartial in the elections in order to ensure fairness and credibility of the process. The postponement of the elections, the third in eight years, does not portray the election umpire as having a full control of the process.
“I appealed to Nigerians to identify with INEC and to support the commission to achieve untainted success in the elections for the good of the country”.
Alao-Akala in his own reaction, declared that the postponement of the elections was ill-timed and sad development for the country.
Alao-Akala while speaking at his Opadoyin residence in Ogbomoso added that it is a disgraceful and inconsiderate act considering the stress that people had gone through just to have a successful exercise.
He said, “I am sad, it is unfortunate that election will be postponed a few hours to the commencement of the exercise. I am sorry for Nigeria; we should not be on this level at this period. what happens to the manpower already expended and human capital resource, can you imagine what Corp members drafted into the exercise were made to go through?
“Did they even consider the loss many people will be forced to incur as a result of the unexpected change. Who pays for these losses and inconveniences? This postponement is ill-timed and a bad decision. INEC had a long period to plan, it was counting down, yet, the commission had to wait till very few hours to start before postponing.
“Why did INEC wait till the last minute, did the commission not know that they weren’t adequately prepared a week ago? This is a failure on the part of INEC, why would they take Nigerians for granted that way? The economy of many people is already affected by this sad development and it is obvious that the authorities do not consider the effect of their actions on the people who are on the receiving end of their bad decision,” Alao-Akala stated.
He concluded that the effect of the postponement cannot be quantified, adding that, “no one can predict what it portends for the election on the new date; election materials which are sensitive in nature have already been distributed. How safe are those, can INEC vouch that this will not lead to tampering?”
Lanlehin in his reaction described it as postponement of impending defeat and disgrace that awaits the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in the state.
Lanlehin in a statement signed by the Director of Public Communication, New Media of his campaign group, Engineer Akeem Olatunji, stated that with this postponement, the impending defeat and disgrace that awaits the candidates of the APC and the PDP is just postponed to the new date announced by the INEC Chairman.
He listed those that would be disgrace in the new date as Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Senator Teslim Folarin, Senator Fatai Buhari representing Oyo South, Oyo Central and Oyo North Senatorial District respectively and other candidates of the APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
He said, “The ADC would have disgraced both the ruling APC and the PDP candidates in Oyo state today but with the postponement, INEC was just postponing the dooms day of both parties, victory remain with the ADC with the support of the electorates in the state”.
“We are optimistic that the electorates have matured enough to choose their preferred candidates without any form of inducement from either the ruling APC or the PDP because both have been tested and failed the people of Oyo state.
“We want our party members and supporters to remain calm and we want to assure them that all the APC’s plan to rig the elections have been foil. With this postponement, we would also return to drawing board to re-strategise to combat any new rigging plan they may want to come out with by the ruling party.
“Our senatorial candidates, Senator Olusoji Akanbi, Senator Monsurat Sumonu, Barrister Bayo Lawal and our governorship candidate, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin are unshakable and optimism that the ADC would come out victorious anytime the elections are conducted with the support of good people of Oyo state”.
Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Wasiu Musah expressed disappointment over the decision to postpone the elections.
Musah who is vying for the House of Representatives seat in Saki West, Saki East and Atisbo federal constituency under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) also condemned what he termed snail-like nature of the electoral umpire.
He urged INEC, CSO, and the Security officials in the three local governments areas of Saki West, Saki East, and ATISBO to deploy their operatives to the INEC LG HQs to protect the sensitive and nonsensitive materials in their custody.
He said, “We condemn this snaillike of the electoral umpire in the strongest terms. Our candidate has demonstrated with a high level of maturity, fully committed to the free, fair and credible election. This news, therefore, is a huge let down to us and our teeming supporters, many of whom have travelled far and wide to come home to exercise their civic responsibility
“It is our firm belief that INEC should remain impartial and stay true to its core objectives of conducting free, fair, and credible elections”.
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