Government, others mobilise voters for Saturday’s election

Government, others mobilise voters for Saturday’s election
Qasim Akinreti, Lagos

Government at all levels, politicians from all divides, and groups are now fully mobilising Nigerians for the National assembly election rescheduled for Saturday April 9.

The election, previously to be held on Saturday April 2, had to be called off owing to the non-delivery of vital electoral materials. 

President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President, David Mark, and Bola Tinubu, a leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, one of the opposition political parties, set out on Monday to mobilise their supporters for the April 9 poll.

President Jonathan and Senate President, David Mark appealed to the electorate to see the postponement as a national sacrifice and come out to vote on Saturday.

Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola and his predecessor, BolaTinubu of the Action Congress of Nigeria addressed a news conference at the Government House in Ikeja, Lagos before proceeding to a political rally at Ojo, on the Lagos–Badagry expressway.

At the ACN political rally, much attention was devoted to civic education and sensitisation of its teeming supporters to participate in the parliamentary election on Saturday.

The ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP in Lagos also took time to analyse their areas of strength and how to sustain their electoral gains in  Badagry and Epe areas of the state.

Mixed reactions

At the political rally in Lagos some Nigerians expressed disappointment at the development while others praised the courage of the electoral commission boss for taking an expedient decision over the non arrival of essential election materials.

Those who were agitated accused the electoral commission of non-preparedness despite repeated assurances by Professor Attahiru Jega, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman.

They said that the botched voting caused Nigeria a huge embarrassment and called for his outright resignation.

On the other hand, Professor Jega was commended for demonstrating uncommon candour and courage in taking full responsibility and apologising for the shortcomings of INEC.

A religious organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC joined in the commendation of Jega. “MURIC laments over this national tragedy but we salute INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, for having the courage to face the truth early in the exercise. The non-arrival of materials can hardly be blamed on him personally. We appeal to Nigerians to exercise patience at this critical moment in the history of our nationhood”, it said in a statement released in Abuja.

According to the statement, apart from logistic issues, the printing and delivery of electoral materials are very sensitive matters which involve security and the state of Nigeria’s infrastructure.

It however urged the INEC boss to see to the successful conduct of free and fair elections for Nigeria.

In the same vein, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Observer Group on Nigeria’s election,  former Botswana President  Festus Mogae, said that although the last minute postponement of the election was regrettable, it was noteworthy that the postponement followed due consultation with the principal  stakeholders in the general elections.

Mogae also acknowledged “the prerogative of the electoral body to make changes to the electoral timetable”.

Rescheduled dates

The rescheduled parliamentary election in Nigeria is to take place on Saturday, April 9 while the Presidential election will hold on April 16 and the Governorship and State Assembly elections on April 26, 2011.

Ekata