INEC yielded to Presidency’s influence in postponing elections – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State has flayed the Independent National Electoral Commission over the postponement of Saturday’s election, alleging that the electoral umpire yielded to external pressure from the Presidency.

In a statement signed by Deacon Okulegu Bethran Enyim, the State Publicity Secretary of the party and made available to newsmen, the PDP described INEC’s action as both regrettable and shocking.

It maintained that INEC’s citing of logistic and operational challenges as reasons for the postponement was untenable since the commission had been given all the financial resources and has had four years to plan and put in place adequate logistics and finetune of its operational plans for the elections.

The party said the postponement has confirmed earlier insinuations that elements extraneous to INEC were putting pressure on the electoral body to postpone the election because the cabal in Aso Rock had found out that the situation of ground would not favour the All Progressives Congress and the return of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The party further described it as highly disappointing and a betrayal of public trust that a presumably unbiased umpire like INEC should yield to such unreasonable influence, thereby causing gross economic loss to the nation, political parties and other stakeholders.

Part of the release reads: “The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi State Chapter, view with utmost regret, the shocking postponement of the Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections earlier scheduled for today, February 16th, 2019, and the Governorship, House of Assembly and the Federal Capital Territory elections that should have held on March 2nd, 2019.

“This postponement is shocking to us, especially going by the reasons adduced by the Chairman of the INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu citing logistics and operational challenges.

“We condemn these by INEC as untenable, since the Commission has been given all the financial resources and has had four years to plan and put in place adequate logistics and fine tuning of its operational plans for the elections.

“We say this because, all along there had been insinuations and clear pointing of fingers at furtive moves by elements extraneous to INEC bringing pressure on the electoral body to postpone the election, because the cabal in Aso Rock and the Presidency have reasons to believe the situation on ground does not favour President Muhammadu Buhari winning the elections, as a result of the preponderance of the electoral strength weighing heavily against the return of Buhari as President.

“We are shocked by the insensitivity of the electoral body to the implication that it had not worked hard enough at providing sound logistics and operational plans to the stakeholders who have spent huge resources and were set for the elections, but are now made to suffer losses by this postponement.

“We condemn this in very strong terms, and warn that INEC must not yield to the pressure of those in the Presidency and the APC to rig Buhari and the APC candidates in, as Nigerians are resolute in their rejection of Buhari as President and the APC administration as the Federal Government.”

The party, however, urged its leaders, members and supporters at various levels not to despair at this postponement but rather take it up as a challenge that must be given the required attention in order overcome.

The release added: “We therefore urge our supporters and members to remain resolute by working to achieve the plan and purpose to ensure that PDP at all levels win the elections: from the Presidential election of voting in Atiku Abubakar as President, all the PDP senators and members of the House of Representatives, to the Governorship by voting massively for His Excellency Engr. Deacon David Nweze Umahi as our Governor for a second term and all PDP House of Assembly candidates in Ebonyi State.”