Following the postponement of Presidential and National Assembly election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, some residents of Nasarawa have expressed worried over the development, urging the commission to always to adequate preparation before scheduling elections dates.
It was a feelings of displeasure, uncertainty and mix reactions, considering that, the latest postponement was the third in the history of the national electoral empire, thereby confirming their earlier fear of the commission’s inability to conduct credible, free and fair elections
The development though in the space of one week, disrupted political activities and brought everything in the state to a stand still, as INEC’s adhoc staff and electorates were stranded amidst the eagerness to participate in the exercise.
Parties Supporters, well wisher and political associates troops to the residences of their their preferred candidates to sympathy with them considering the stress, energy, time waste and resources spent, while some, in their opinion see it as an opportunity to intensify campaigns with the period of the one week postponement.
Even with the postponement of the election, as at the time of filling this report, movement was beginning to pickup, even as business activities were in their lowest ebb, reasons being that most of the Electorates have traveled for the elections to exercise their Civic right.
The tensed political atmosphere suddenly went cold, as political groups, political parties and their candidate have reiterated their determination to restrategize for the February 23 polls.
The Nasarawa state office of the Independent Electoral Commission which was beehive of activities to the postponed election, a more or less Mecca of sort have suddenly deserted of people to perform one responsibility or the order.
Some of those who spoke to Business Day were disappointed, but hopeful that the shift in date of the election was for good of all Nigerians.
Joseph Lydia, a business woman who cooked food expected to sale during the election, but only to wake up and heard that the election was postponed.
She thus said: ” my name is Joseph Lydia, I am very disappointed with the information. I wake up very early 4:00 am and cooked food to be taken to polling unit for sale, but to my greatest surprised to hear they have postponed the election.
“I spent over N20,000 in buying some of items to cook the food, but I have to bear with the lost and harness money for next week”.
David Samson also said that ” INEC have told us that they are ready for the elections, we were happy that the election will not be shifted, but I don’t know what went wrong for the decision to have suspended the election for next week. I am very disappointed.
“There is nothing I can do than to wait for that day, it is my civil responsibility and I am not going to joke with that”.
Collet Ikuka, a trader in Lafia also said that she is saddened with the situation and we don’t know whether they would postponed again by next week, but I hope that INEC will keep to their word allow the election to hold.
“After we had locked our shops and business, they came up to say the election is next week, it is sad, and hope that it would not repeat again.
“My advised is that let their next week be next week and not at the late hour the will still disappoint us again.”
Dauda Abdulahi Mohammad said, ” I came yesterday all the way from Kaduna to cast my vote in my polling units in lafia, just to heard that election is shifted to next week. I am not happy about it, because I spent so much money to come and to also return, and wait next week for the election is costly.
“Like wise, a lot of people traveled in order to cast their vote in their respective states, but this postponement would be a set backs for them. I know some people may have thought that, there are hidden agenda that the INEC don’t want us to know.” He explained.
Also, Umar Bwala, the People’s Democratic Party Public Relation Officer, expressed the position of the party thus: ” we are indeed completely dismayed by the action of INEC, if all that has be said of the state of preparedness is something to go by, then there is no need finding ourselves where we are now, because they kept telling the whole world that they are ever ready for the election. Then, why the sudden change.
“They are trying to do the bidden of APC because the attorney general and the minister of justice of this country has consistently tells INEC to postponed election in Zamfara.
“So, by extension, they have succumbed to the pressure by the minister. For PDP and its supporters, are ever ready for election even if INEC says election is today.
“We believed that there are credible people in the INEC, they should take a cue from the previous elections and try to improve on what professor Attahiru Jega did when he headed the commission, ” he advised.
He further called on the PDP supporters not to be discouraged by the postponement of the election, but remained resolute ensure they cast their votes to their candidates.
More so, the police commissioner in the state, Bola Longe held a meeting with the INEC, stakeholders, and political parties. Assuring adequate security across the 13 local government area in the state.
The Resident Elecotoral Commissioner of INEC in the state, Dr. Uthman Abdulraham Ajidagba confirmed reception of both sensitive and non sensitive materials, expressing accurate protection of the materials kept at the CBN branch in the state till next week.
