Outrage has continued to trail the statement by Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, that he could not guarantee that the 2015 general elections would hold on rescheduled dates in March and April.
Jega on Wednesday told the Senate that only the Service Chiefs could guarantee the sanctity of the rescheduled polls in view of the security challenges facing the country.
Jega, who was grilled for about four hours by the Senate on INEC’s preparedness for the elections as well as the effectiveness of the use of card reader for the accreditation of voters, affirmed that the commission was ready to conduct credible, free, fair and transparent elections.
He, nevertheless, confessed that the postponement of the election had offered the commission the opportunity for extra preparation.
Speaking on the development, Secretary of The Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Groups (COSEG), Rasak Olokooba, stated that Nigerians will not take the issue of another election shift lightly.
According to him, the first shift in election was an abberation hence there is no room for another postponement.
Olokooba stated that the INEC boss’ statement has created confusion in the minds of Nigerians.
“We don’t know where he belongs now, whether on the people’s side or that of the government. Saying the security agencies will determine whether election will take place is like abdicating his official postition and ceding his power to security agencies,” he said.
Human right activist and public commentator, Richard Akinola, posted on his facebook page that as part of the moves to scuttle next month’s election, the hawks have resolved to use the June 12 template, by sponsoring a plethora of cases.
“Two of such cases would be filed in the next few days. One is for the proper interpretation of section 135(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which allows for the election to be postponed to six months if the country is at war. The second is to stop INEC from using the card reader for the election. These are apart from the various cases filed against the candidature of Buhari. Interesting times lie ahead,” Akinola stated.
The executive chairman of The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM), Nelson Ekujumi, also condemned the statement by Prof Jega that the conduct of the 2015 general elections is dependent on security in the north east.
He described it as unconstitutnal, irresponsible, undemocratic and an abdication of the constitutional responsibility of INEC which is empowered to conduct elections by the Electoral Act.
“We reject this statement in its entirety and call for a retraction as well as an apology to Nigerians for this assault on democracy,” he averred.
Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) Professor Ishaq Akintola joins other well-meaning Nigerians, true patriots and genuine democrats to warn against the diabolical plot to extend the tenure of the current administration, describing it as nothing short of a coup against the people of Nigeria and a sabotage of what Rousseau called the General Will.
“With the exemption of a few bootlickers and court jesters, Nigerians are eager to vote come March 28 and April 11. It is rather unfortunate that the Presidency seeks to uphold Napoleon Bonaparte’s postulate that the only lesson which men learn from history is that they learn nothing from history. Or how else can we describe the present maneuvers from Nigeria’s seat of power against the backdrop of the June 12 imbroglio and the subsequent chaos that dragged Nigeria back by several decades?
“Without the fear of contradicting the Hegelian thesis that history always repeats itself, we hasten to remind President Jonathan of the Marxist antithesis adjudging the first repetition of history as a tragedy and the second, a farce.”
MURIC appeals to President Jonathan not to prove cynics right, adding that the excuse given for postponing the election (security) was dismissed by many as a ruse.
“It will be too bad if this plot is true. It had better not be. It is not the winners of elections or their losers that emerge heroes among leaders but those who are most adaptable to change, those who play the game according to the rules, those who respect the rule of law, those who choose honour and integrity and those who shun the tempting songs of power.
“We charge members of the NASS to stand on the right side of history where their names will be written in letters of gold. We remind the honourable members that whereas the courage to sell one’s conscience is cheap, the will to take a principled stand is worth a governor’s ransom.
“If it is true that President Jonathan has repeatedly told Nigerians that March 28, April 11 and May 29 are sacrosanct, then we must not be hearing this type of rumour. We invite Mr. President to fear God, the source of all power. To prove that he is a true Christian, President Jonathan must keep faith with Numbers 30:2 where the Bible says, ‘When a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds from his mouth’.
“To be or not to be? That is the question. Whether President Jonathan is prepared to prove to Nigerians that he is a good Christian and therefore worthy of the responsibility of leadership of about 170 million Nigerians will be largely tied to his readiness to keep a date with the March 28, April 11 elections and the May 29 inauguration,” he stated. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Never, I say never the entire Nigeria will............... if jona try any funny action.
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you guys, it will be so devastating that otuoke will be history in the world map, if possible the entire bayelsa.
It will be more than a genocide.
Emmanuel leave story...how do you know a typical Nigerian ? We promise fire , brimstone and even volcanoes yet when the time comes nobody shows up to be counted. That we all allowed Feb 14th to pass us by , then we all must shoulder the blame.
DeleteInteresting times lies ahead indeed.
Emmanuel or whatever your name is, you're just a fool! You're an empty vessel that rants and makes empty noise! Just shut the shit you called your mouth! Even if the elections are postponed again, which we don't hope for, the best you could do is to rant and nothing will happen! Absolutely nothing! You'll only eat the hairs on yoiur head! You wouldn't do anything! Absolutely nothing!
Deletesdg
ReplyDeleteGod will be in control . He will touch Jonathan's hearth.
ReplyDeleteI pray for the division of this idiotic country called Nigeri, I hate be in the same country with the islamists who kills for their monster called Allah.
ReplyDeleteHello my friend. I will just like to call your attention to your own ignorance. Just as the word "GOD" is in english, "OLUWA" in yoruba so is "ALLAH" in arabic. Do not get it twisted that every arabian is a muslim. I think what you my friend has done here is insult the Almighty Creator of the entire mankind and every other thing. So seek forgiveness foro you have committed a grave sin. May the Almighty forgive me where i am wrong and forgive us all and rectify our ways. Ameen
DeleteAre there no elders in bayelsa?
ReplyDelete5:29PM , God touches the hearts of people to be destroyed
Saul , Pharoah , etc.
Jona ti Je Tan
Gbenga!!!
Who do the Service Chiefs report to? Answer; directly to Jonathan. Jonathan wanted elections postponement, and he got it. The man is evil, and doesn't care about democracy.
ReplyDeleteTHERE IS NO NEED FOR RAGING: ELECTION WOULD GO ON COME 28 MARCH4BUHARI WITH OR WITHOUT THE MILITARY! NIGERIANS MUST UNITE TO CHASE OUR COMMON ENEMY - pdpigs OUT OF POWER!
ReplyDeleteFar far fawn
ReplyDeletemr first commentator, it is easier said than done, many of u threatened to wrech havock if 14th feb will be shifted, Amechi threatened to organise a million protest if the election will be shifted. it was shifted and non of u and Amechi did nothing so, even if the rescheduled date will be shifted u will do nothing still. stupid toothles backing dog!!
ReplyDeleteis Jonathan otouke emmanuel ur stupid for dat come nd mk bayelsa history
ReplyDeleteSo Emmanuel, what will you do if the elections are postponed again?
ReplyDeletemr man, u who want to explain to what Allah mean, listen, Allah is not God. the arabic word for God is Ilah not Allah, the shahada its self proves that Allah is not God. it says la Ilah il Allah meaning no God but Allah, can u new see that ALLAH is difrent from ILAH? can u see that Allah is not Ilah(God) acording to the shahada?. another proof is that muhammads fathers name was Abdulah meaning a servant of Allah yet, he was never a muslim but an idol worshiper. now, who is that Allah that was served by an idol worshiper? God or what? dnt u know that allah was the chief idol among the 360 idols in kaaba befor islam? i can use the hadith of buhari to prove it for u.
ReplyDelete