No cost implications over postponement, says Jega

Osun Speaker urges vigilance

CHAIRMAN of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega has assured that the Federal Government would not have to commit any additional cost as a result of the shift in elections date, stressing that the commission had acquired all the materials it needed for the polls before the shift in date.

   “As I speak with you I do not envisage any extra cost. For example, most of out sensitive electoral materials like ballot papers have arrived and I can assure you that they are very secured. It is only for us to deploy them to the field. Frankly I do not envisage any cost implications in shifting the date for the elections. All our materials have been produced and are ready to be used any time we are ready for the election.”

   While urging Nigerians, the political parties as well as other stakeholders to accept the new development in good faith, Jega also called on the security agencies to honour their commitment to ensure the restoration of peace and normalcy in the North East and other restive areas in the country within the six weeks they requested for, stressing that the commission will under no circumstances agree to shift the election beyond the provisions of the Electoral Act.

   Meanwhile, the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salam has urged Nigerians to be vigilant following the postponement of the elections by INEC.

   He noted that INEC was forced to shift the elections date due to alleged connivance by the powers that be and the nation’s security agencies in order to achieve certain objective.

   Also, the alteration of the electoral timetable by INEC has been described as regrettable. 

   The condemnation came from a professor of constitutional law, Prof. Auwalu Hamisu Yadudu, who dismissed that, “It is very regrettable that the security agencies who had a notice of one year before now that the election was going to hold, just to come at the eleventh hour and say they are not ready for it,” explaining that the new position was least expected in the nation’s democratic process.

   Yadudu said that, “there was no assurance from the security agencies that when the extension of six weeks elapses they would not come back again and say they needed another extension. I hope they will not push the goal post again when the time comes.”

  He noted that the commission will also used the period of extension to complete calk other processes in readiness for the conduct of a free and fair election in the country.

“As for us at INEC, we will endeavor to use the period of extension to keep on perfecting our processes to ensure that we conduct the vast election in Nigerian history. In particular, we will resolve all outstanding issues regarding the collection of PVCs which is currently agitating the mind of so many Nigerians.  I told the National Council if States that there were we had wished to do but for lack of time. For example we had wanted to give more training to our ad hock staff in the areas of understanding and perfecting the use of the PVC and card readers. Now that we have this time frame, we would be able to give them more trading which can add value to the process”, he assured.