Saturday 16 February 2019

INEC SCORE AN OWN GOAL TO NIGERIANS!


In 1998, General Abdulsalam dissolved NECON and established the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC organized the transitional elections that ushered the Nigerian fourth Republic on 2019, 1999. Since then, INEC has successfully organized and conducted elections in 2004, 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2019 respectively, headed by different chairman with the solid mandated of consolidating Democracy through free, fair and credible.

The political atmosphere in Nigeria begun in 2018 which political parties were formally allowed to campaign for office bid for, the incumbent party and oppositions parties have move round the 36 state of Nigeria FCT inclusive canvassing support for victory in February 2019. A lot of money was spent for logistics and planning by all political parties, serials of debate was organized by different media bodies, so that Nigerians will decide wisely who will pilot their affairs for the next four years.
In the midst of loggerhead between and among the executive and legislative arm of government over the propose 2019 election budget, yet according to INEC election project planning propose about 189 billion naira, which was broken down into four important viz the election operational cost which is estimated at 134.4 billion naira, the election technology cost estimated at 22.6 billion and 144.6 billion naira for election and election administrative and contingencies respectively.

It was reported that INEC has received 80% of money budgeted for the 2019 general elections. Yet 5 hours to the presidential and National Assembly elections, the INEC chairman in person of Prof. Muhmud Yukubu in national broadcast ‘in view of logistic and operational costs’ postponed the elections for feburary 23, 2019. It was quite a disappointment for Nigerians especially for youth corpers that slept in classes, open places and squatted in rooms with no security, other INEC ad hoc staffs and elections observers.

INEC Job is mostly seasonings; once in four years.  It takes good 3 years to prepared for the  2019 general  elections,  upon all the money and man power needed which was been provided by the federal government but at the very few hours to elections. INEC disappoints Nigerians without any apology; the President was in, his home town ‘Daura’, the vice President in Lagos and leading opposition candidate in Adamawa for their civic responsibility.
  
The postponement has curse a lot to Nigerians because what we see today is simply a waste of national financial resources that were committed in terms of transportation of electoral officers, deployment of security personal from state to another, invitations of foreign and domestic observers, ordinary Nigerians engaged in patty business feeding from hand to mouth were remain in door, market closed, business shut down, offices closed and school closed. So many parents traveled
across different state to move their children out schools, sequel to the public holiday given as a result of anticipated election, many Nigerians travel back home from different places across the world to exercise their civic right. Is government going to reimburse them for such expenses? This simply put that INEC is not a goal but score an own goal at midst of international community but can still do better.

The president and the leading opposition party candidate have depict their disappointment over the postponement of the election to 23rd February  by INEC and urge Nigerians not to relent to come out and vote next week. The electoral body has taken a step by organizing the stalk holders conference to resolves lingering issues, I urge INEC to re-strategies its plan for next week general elections and also retrieve the already distributed sensitive and non sensitive materials to avoid further national disgrace in  midst of international observers.

To conclude with the words of Samir Amir “Nobody is fighting for ideology but for materials benefit and better future for its love once”. Please Nigerians come out in mass on 23rd February 2019 to vote for candidate of your choice, your vote is for better education, health, infrastructures and employment.  ‘No sit down look’ “No sleeping on election day”.