CLEEN foundation has called on Independent National Electoral Commision (INEC) to be more transparent and proactive in communicating with Nigerians and strategic partners on their logistics and operational challenges.
In a press statement issued on Saturday in Abuja , Executive Director of CLEEN foundation Dr Benson Olugbuo said INEC needs to convince stakeholders and the international community that this action is for the effective delivery of its mandate towards deepening democracy in Nigeria.
In a related development, YIAGA AFRICA said INEC should without any further delay provide detailed information on the nature and degree of the logistical challenges that occasioned the postponement.
Its Executive Director Samson Itodo and Chair, Watching The Vote Working Group Dr Hussaini Abdu said the citizenry deserves to be properly informed and reassured that such postponements will not remain a permanent feature of our electoral process.
“We urge all Nigerian citizens and registered voters in particular to remain calm and exercise restraint as INEC works towards the new dates.
“We also seize this opportunity to ask all political party actors to show understanding and exercise patience. We urge them to stay away from making allegations, spreading rumors and hate speech to avert overheating the polity.
“The YIAGA Africa Watching The Vote will continue to provide the most timely and accurate information on the conduct of the 23rd of February, 2019 elections and will give an independent estimate of the officially announced presidential election results.
“YIAGA Africa reiterates its readiness to deploy its 3,906 observers to all the 774 local government areas in the country, and will continue to ensure that Nigerian elections are conducted in a transparent, credible and peaceful manner,” they said.
Also, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) said it is seriously perturbed by the sudden postponement of the general elections by the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) few hours to the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
It’s Executive Director Auwal Ibrahim Musa in a press statement said they are concerned by the wastages and losses the postponement would cause the country, civil society and international community that have committed whopping financial and human resources to deployment and observation missions to ensure free, fair and credible elections that will be acceptable to all
“Given the large presence of youth deployment for anchoring electoral processes and international electoral observation missions across the country, such abrupt postponement is a huge setback to our nation’s democracy which may breed electoral apathy and distrust at all levels.
“With the new electoral dates, giving the space of a week extension, we are as well worried for the safety, integrity and security of election materials which have been disseminated across the country.
He called on the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, constitute an ad hoc Committee to investigate the sudden postponement to clear the Commission of public doubt that her decision was not informed by desperate desires of unjust individuals or groups who want to assume or sustain power by all illegitimate means.
He said the commision should tender an unreserved apology to Nigerian and international observers, who have committed their time, presence and financial resources to monitor the electoral process with assurance that elections would hold as earlier scheduled.
He said the apology must also be rendered to Nigerian voters who have invested time and resources to sacrifice the day for them to discharge their civic responsibility.
