By Olaleke ASHAFA
Former Sen. Abubakar Sodangi (PDP-Nasarawa West) has appealed to Nigerians to have faith and appreciate the enormous challenges of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Sodangi made the call while reacting to the postponement of the Feb. 16 and March 2 general elections by INEC on Saturday in Nasarawa.
Sodangi, who is now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State, said that it was better for the electoral umpire to shift the polls if there were problems in order to have free and fair elections in the country.
“It has happened and it has been announced by INEC whose responsibility is to conduct free, fair, acceptable and credible elections.
“The electorate are fully ready to come out en mass and cast their votes for President Muhammadu Buhari because the president has done well especially in the area of corruption, economy and security.
“Also we have stakeholders like the domestic and international observers who are here in the country to observe the election to ensure its credibility.
“If INEC thinks that there is logistic problem, let us be patient with the commission in order to have free and fair election.
“It is better to shift the election and do it correctly.
“It is in view of this that I want to appeal to the electorate and other Nigerians to be patient with INEC on election postponement,” he said.
The former lawmaker also urged APC supporters and Nigerians to come out en masse and vote President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates in the rescheduled elections.
TBI Africa said the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, late Friday announced the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections by one week
Yakubu also said that the governorship, House of Assembly and FCT area council elections had also been shifted from March 2 to March 9.
The chairman attributed the postponement of the polls to logistic and operational problems.
He said the postponement would afford the commission the opportunity to address the identified challenges in order to maintain the quality of Nigeria’s elections
