Hundreds of protesters stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Monday, demanding the postponement of this month’s general election.
The youth gathered at the INEC headquarters in the Maitama District of Abuja asking it to delay the polls because of the difficulty in the distribution of the Permanent Voters Card, PVCs.
According to the protesters, only 40 per cent of the PVCs had been distributed ahead of the February 14 and 28 elections.
They also claimed that INEC needed 960,000 ad hoc staff but that at the time of their protest the staff had not been engaged.
They argued that if the polls were allowed to go ahead as scheduled, several million Nigerians would not be able to vote.
The youth, who gathered at Unity Fountain beside Hilton Hotel before marching to the INEC headquarters on Zambezi Street, were bearing banners and placards with the inscriptions such as “Election is for general participation, not for selective few” “INEC, do the right thing,” “Don’t disenfranchise Nigerians,” “We demand for the extension of election to allow Nigerian exercise their franchise.”
After the protest, the youth returned to the Unity Fountain where they were sighted sharing money.
It was not clear if they were sponsored by the Presidency or the PDP, but sources indicated that they were hired by some unnamed individuals who promised them money.
The National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel, had at an event in London recently made a case for the shift of the elections to give INEC more time to distribute all the PVCs.
However, criticisms trailed the call with Nigeria’s leading opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, alleging that Mr. Dasuki was only making the call to buy time for the PDP presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign to gather steam.
Since the NSA made the call some individuals and groups have also asked for the postponement of the polls.
INEC said it has so far distributed 42.77 million PVCS out of the 68.8 million registered voters, representing 62.15 per cent.
Since Mr. Dasuki’s call for postponement of the polls, several Nigerians and groups, especially, the All Progressives Congress, APC, have maintained that the Presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are pushing for postponement because of the fear of failure.
The PDP and Presidency have both denied being behind the postponement move.
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Their plot and rented crowd will fail. God will rule your life the way this government is ruling. The election will not be postponed. Jega must not bow to pressure, it is sponsored.
ReplyDeleteNE, you are really pro-APC
ReplyDeleteThis is not about NE! USA, for so many year, does its elections same date of the year for so many years! Why can't we? Isn't this glaring to you that this is political maneuvering? Give me one good reason why it should be postponed!
DeleteHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I need Pills For my Belly O...
ReplyDeletePDP at work, d election must hold and pdp must fail and dey must giv up d pawa by GOD grace!!!
ReplyDeleteOur speaker have spoken. ...Anumanu
DeleteWendy, do you realise that the money PDP is using to bribe these people to do these protest,would have been used to make nigeria a better place. we most do that election on the 14th February
DeletePDP said they will win so why the postponement; lets go vote... .
DeleteBarak , so got 1995 toyota corolla... it that all you could get from PDP... what a little red porridge to mortgage a great future
DeleteWhat evidence do u guys have that its pdp pushing for postponement of elections, nigerianeye the pro-apc ride on, that's the way to do professional journalism. stupid fools.
DeleteThe election should be postponed for at least four years, to give Jonathan and his corrupt crew more time to finish us off.
ReplyDeleteI think its high time we started seeing beyond our nose...the date for election have been fixed a long time ago, Mr President nd his fellow actors should have been prepared a long time....why all these dramas???? Change all the Way...I don't know APC nor GMB, But I know CHANGE
ReplyDeleteWhy would they sharing money publicly? They spoilt the show. lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm telling yuh! Even their sponsors would cover their faces and be like; see these mumumumus!!!
Deletethink its high time we Nigerians begin to view things beyond our nose, the election date have been fixed a long time ago and Our President and his co-actors should have been prepared....why all these dramas??? I don't know APC, neither do I know. GMB, but I know CHANGE!!!
ReplyDeletewe should by all means talk like educated people even if we are not. what proof do you that its the presidency and his co-actors that are behind this? a lot of us have no PVC's and its no fault of ours. just because the president has given us freedom of speech does not mean we should abuse it at every instance. mscheeeeew
Deletewhat has your GEJ said since this propaganda; if he is not the one sponsoring it... a fool at forty is a fool forever; please learn!!! we are over 50years as a country... we cannot contiune like this
DeleteHmmmmm.....
ReplyDeleteAny they were seen sharing money after the so-called protest.
Hmmm.... Dia ris God oooo.....
This situation is a reflection of the calibre of the president and his government. He just wants to destroy by all means. For instance, look at madam Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, When she worked for president Obasanjo, people thought she's a genius and was well praised. When she left president's Obasanjo's regime, she was given another chance to go back to her former employer, World Bank to continue her work. Everyone felt her role positively. The same person with more years of experience was called back to her former position to work with president Jonathan. And she is being cursed and criticized everyday. I feel for the woman and wonder if she would get a chance again to work for World Bank. I am sorry to say that I feel her career has been dented. The reason is because, the head is sick and clueless. And the team matters a lot. President Jonathan, I have a question for you: can you ever vote again for a president who has achieved all the things you achieved in 6 years? I doubt you say "Yes". And if your answer is "yes" it means we are in serious danger than we have assumed. During your time, Nigerian sovereignty has been questioned and we are losing lives. I think if you are Godly, you should resign before the election day. Look at Tunisia, for instance, because somebody committed suicide as a result of government failed policies, the president resigned and left office. I think you derive joy in people's sorrows, mr president. Your wife once came to Canada here few years ago and donated three (3) million dollars to Canadian government. Canadians were wondering if it is true Nigeria has problems that we are talking about. And they wondered how the wife of a sitting president will donate such huge money to a well established and stable country like Canada while the citizens of such country are suffering. They wondered and still wondering what types of people we are. Nigerians, this is our lives and let's do the right thing.
ReplyDeletethere z God o o o
ReplyDeleteIt is shameful that the presidency will hatch the plan to postpone this election for whatever reason. This administration is self centered and should be voted out. We must not continue to mortgage our future to useless politicians. Time to do the right thing is now. Vote for security and anti corruption.
ReplyDelete