Abuja – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said it had shift the council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from March 19 to April 9.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the FCT, Prof. Jacob Jatau, announced this at an emergency stakeholders meeting in Abuja.
Jatau stated that the postponement was due to the challenges faced by the commission in recruiting ad hoc workers for the election.
He said that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) could not meet the target requested by the commission for the ad hoc job.
According to him, the commission has a short fall from the number requested and as such, cannot conduct the election on March 19 as scheduled.
“The curriculum the commission is having is not being able to acquire the number of corps members requested for the election,’’ he said, but admitted that INEC had had cordial relationship with NYSC.
The REC said that the commission had approach University of Abuja to provide some students to make up the number of needed ad hoc staff for the election.
He therefore explained that “in the light of this development, the commission decided to shift the election by three weeks, that is from March 19 to April 9, 2016.’’
Reacting, political parties expressed disappointment over the development, saying that campaigns had been concluded.
According to Mr Yahaya Suleiman, Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the territory, political parties are not funded by INEC and the shift in date will involve spending of more money.
He added that resuming campaign in the extended time posed a problem to his party.
Suleiman therefore urged the commission to have a rethink on the issue.
Mr Abdulmalik Usman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also expressed displeasure over the development, and called on political parties in the area to have an emergency to take a position on the issue.
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The call for a meeting of the parties was supported by Mr Abe Makunjuola of the National Conscience Party, who said that it was necessary for the parties to assess the development.
On his part, a representative of the NYSC, Mr Oti Adeboye, explained said most of the corps members were afraid of electoral violence at the polling units.
“NYSC, the defenceless corps members are threatened by these political parties to alter result sheets of election and when they refuse, they are either killed or wounded seriously.
“Parents have warned their children/wards against partaking in the elections and because of what had happened in the past, we can’t blame them and will not force them to come out,’’ he said.
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Wilson Inalegwu, assured the electorate of adequate security during the election.
He said that security men would be deployed to all polling units in the six area councils of the FCT for the election.
Inalegwu urged all the political parties to conduct themselves orderly to avoid violence during the exercise.
He told the parties to resume electioneering in the three weeks extension for the poll. (NAN)