ABUJA, Feb 16, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Nigeria’s two main political parties on
Saturday hit out at a decision by the country’s election watchdog to push
back presidential and parliamentary elections by a week.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) blamed the
postponement on logistical difficulties, after reports of widespread problems
in the distribution of voting materials.
Yet both the ruling All Progressives Congress and the main opposition
Peoples Democratic Party blamed the other for orchestrating the delay as a
way of manipulating the vote.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign spokesman Festus Keyamo for the APC
said the news was a “huge disappointment” and hit out at INEC for being
unprepared.
Keyamo called on the body to remain impartial “as the rumour mill is agog
with the suggestion that this postponement has been orchestrated in collusion
with the… PDP”.
“We have earlier raised the alarm that the PDP is bent on discrediting this
process the moment it realised it cannot make up the numbers to win this
election,” he added.
“We are only urging INEC not to collude with the PDP on this.”
PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar blamed the Buhari government for “instigating
the postponement” and said it hoped to disenfranchise the electorate to
ensure a low turnout.
“Nigerians must frustrate their plans by coming out in even greater numbers
on Saturday 23 February” and for governorship and state assembly elections
two weeks later, he added.
With tempers expected to flare, and political violence common in Nigeria,
Abubakar called on his supporters to remain calm.
“We will overcome this. You can postpone an election but you cannot
postpone destiny,” he added in a statement.