Akeredolu urges calm, Afenifere says action may cause apathy

Following the postponement of the presidential and the National Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has described the development as unfortunate and embarrassing to the country.

The Afenifere said the development might lead to voter apathy as many Nigerians might lose interest in further participating in the elections.

The Publicity Secretary of the association, Mr Yinka Odumakin, stated this while speaking with our correspondent on the telephone on Saturday.

He urged the electoral commission to ensure that proper arrangements were made for the elections next Saturday.

Odumakin said, “It is very unfortunate that we found ourselves in this embarrassing situation. The whole world would be laughing at us, many people had gone to their villages for the election but disappointed. It is now a challenge to INEC to get it right in the next one week because this election is so important to the people of Nigeria.

“Again, this development may bring a lot of apathy to many voters. Like I said, many people had to travel far so as to be able to vote but now many of them may not want to travel again for the election. This has portrayed us as an unserious nation. So, it is an unfortunate development.”

But, the Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has called on the people of the state to remain calm and get prepared to exercise their civic responsibility on the rescheduled dates for the elections.

Akeredolu, who spoke at his hometown, Owo, Ondo State, described the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections as painful, adding that INEC’s announcement on the postponement came to Nigerians very late.

He, however, said the postponement must be taken with calmness and renewed determination to turn out en mass for the elections on the new dates.

While regretting that citizens were already set to participate in the elections on Saturday (yesterday), Akeredolu said the electoral body must have been overwhelmed by unforeseen circumstances such as its inability to deliver electoral materials to all the polling units and replace damaged card readers, essential materials and equipment in its burnt offices in some parts of the country.

“It is not an election that can be staggered, it is a national election, it has to be held in one day. If there are areas where all the needed election materials are not available, INEC has no option but to postpone the election until it is sure the materials are there,” he said.

Akeredolu urged the people to get prepared to troop out en masse to perform their civic responsibility on February 23 and March 9.