The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Kogi State chapter has condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its last minute postponement of the general elections.
The INEC had at about2.am Saturday some three hours before voting in the presidential and National Assembly elections were to begin scheduled a shift by a week the dates for the exercise.
A joint statement issued Sunday by Badanga Iliyas, the IPAC chairman and Mr Ibrahim Itodo, the chairman strategy committee, said the sudden postponement was a monumental institutional failure on the part of INEC.
The IPAC therefore condemned in strong terms the unexpected shift in dates of the elections, stating that it was done without taking into consideration the devastating effect of this action.
“We are sad because political parties are directly involved, we have mobilized political party agents and stake holders involved in the Election and the same day of the same election INEC announce the postponement from the comfort of their office,” it said.
According to the statement: “the assurances of this election was severally made known to political parties, civil society organizations and observers that the commission was prepared only to hear this announcement without regards to what political parties and individuals have lost collectively as a country.
“INEC should be held responsible by Nigerians and all registered political parties for lack of proactive leadership role by Prof Mamood Yakubu the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission.
“This colossal mistake would have been averted if all the professors in INEC are proactively thinking and taking the entire INEC staffs along.
“It’s purely a failure of leadership, we therefore call for the resignation of those involved in this saga immediately to serve as deterrent, because this mistake is a monumental one and should not be allowed in this great country.”
Further, the IPAC said the National Assembly should in future reduce the power and functions of INEC, saying that the commission has so much under her.
They listed those functions to include: registration of political parties, monitoring of political parties, printing of electoral materials and distributions, training of ad-hoc and coalition of results among others
“The world and indeed African Countries are looking unto us to pave the way. We appeal to Nigerians particularly Kogites to bear this unwarranted mistake of INEC to come out on the 23rd February, 2019 to cast their votes to candidates of their choice,” it said.
IPAC also pleaded with INEC to ensure the safety of all electoral materials already distributed.
“All the materials sent to various local governments should be retrieved immediately especially the sensitive materials sent on 16th February, 2019,” it said.
