By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Yakubu Mahmud has given reasons why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the election by one week.
Prof Mahmud said that the postponement by one week was arrived at after consultations with its technical department which confirmed that the card reader which has been configured to work only today (Saturday) will take five days to be reconfigured. He said that based on this the commission arrived at one week.
He disclosed this at the World Press briefing at the International Conference Centre in Abuja which also serves as the collation Centre for the elections.
The commission chairman also informed that the postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections was to prevent staggered election.
Prof Mahmud said had the election been allowed to continue, it would no longer be a general election but would have amounted to staggered election which will not occur well for the country and the process.
The INEC chairman, who took responsibility on behalf of the commission for the postponed election, rolled out some issues that led to the decision by the commission.
According to him, delay in delivering ballot sheets and electoral materials to some areas occasioned by bad weather which hindered the supply of materials as well as destruction of Permanent Voters Card (PVC), and burning its offices and cubicles accounted for part of the reason for the postponement.
He assured Nigerians and the foreign observers that the postponement has no political undertone or due to security situation in the country.
However, Prof Mahmud Yakubu also assured that sensitive materials will be recovered and return to the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN).
He therefore appalled to Nigerians for understanding, adding that the decision to postpone the election was a painful one for INEC but was necessary in view of the circumstance.
Details Later…