THE SHIFT OF ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA.

THE SHIFT OF ELECTION IN NIGERIA.

Pictures of INEC Adhoc staff, sleeping in the open spaces as a result of the postponement.

The news of the postponement of the 2019 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission few minutes to its commencement was very alarming and discouraging. For a country of about 59 years, inability to make certain event such as its election to proceed as planned was a disgrace to us internationally. So many international observers were already on ground to monitor the proceedings but we eventually heeded to our nature; an ingrained laughing stock in the comity of nations. Aside from the inconvenience and the utter financial expenses to be incurred, the bizarre announcement of deferment even by a week, for whatever reasons to be adduced, remains egregious and obnoxious.

The announcement immensely served as a loss in the economic market of the country as it led to the shut down of some companies like the National Bureau of Statistics which lost about N350bn in just one day. The Independent National Electoral Commission also lost 1.2bn just because they had to postpone the election by a week. For a commission that had four years to prepare, we are left to ponder and wonder at their abysmal utterances of “logistics failure” for the postponement. Some things do not shock us as Nigerians again as we have developed a thick skin to varied eventualities that would naturally precipitate us from its surrealism. Some citizens who had to travel long distance just to exercise their franchise cannot be encouraged to do so again if at all because of emotional investment and financial cost.

Some event such as weddings, birthdays, burials, etc could not hold as they were hitherto fixed for the 23rd of February which is the new date of the Presidential and National Assembly election. Now that there is a postponement of the election to this day, what does the INEC intend to do to fix this anomaly? Not even a whimper of apology could be elicited and things are done with gay abandon as if they are normal. Anyways, strangeness pervade the insane world such as ours. The families are expected to re-plan their events just because of an election the Independent National Electoral Commission had 4 years to plan to perfection. What a country!

INEC staff at an undisclosed local govt, sleeping on the floors and chairs.

The poll postponement also created doubts in the mind of Nigerians as some saw it as a means to perfect the rigging of the elections by the main party (APC) while some saw it as a means to make sure we have a free and fair election. There was news about some group of men that were apprehended on Friday, 15th of February with results of the election that was to take place the following day. Youth corpers that were assigned to certain polling units, as ad hoc staff, had to sleep uncomfortably on plain grounds. They were subjected to harrowing conditions and their security of lives were left to the political predators. Such acts by INEC could predispose the Corp Members to be malleable in the hands of the politicians by doing their biddings after comfort had been provided.
News also filtered in about the commencement of the election in just 24 states whereby the remaining 12 states will be considered as they were not being considered to have participated in the election. This will result in the election being rigged in favor of the ruling party APC against its biggest contender PDP. This news then leave so many questions unanswered; Is this really how we want to continue? Is this the change we were being promised? Can we not have an election being free and fair as it's meant to be? Can this acts of postponement be jettisoned from our electoral process? Can we be serious in the eyes of the world? Why are we backward in our dealings? Is shame an inextricable part of us that we behave shameless?
Even though the poll postponement had its advantage, it still was not the best decision the Independent National Electoral Commission made. They had a whole four years and an avalanche of resources at their beck and call to prepare for the 2019 general elections and there should not have been any case of postponement, rigging or their not being able to send all the necessary materials on time to each local government as they claimed.
I will urge all Nigerians not to be discouraged or dampened and not see the poll postponement as a way not to vote or to think that their votes will not count but for them to see it as another opportunity to make Nigeria a better place to live in. Our votes will count if we solely believe in it. We should all go out en masse and exercise our franchise because the future and fate of Nigeria lies in our hands.


About The Writer.

Susan Akinrinola is a Nigerian teenage writer and poet. She dedicates her writings to the development of youths and teenagers all over the world. She currently lives in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. She is currently aspiring to study at the prestigious University of Ibadan.



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