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Who Is Afraid Of The Election? APC Member Asks

A member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Babatunde Ogala, believes that there should have been no debate about whether the February elections should be … Continue reading Who Is Afraid Of The Election? APC Member Asks


Election

ElectionA member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Babatunde Ogala, believes that there should have been no debate about whether the February elections should be postponed.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, he said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is “the body that is constitutionally empowered to organise elections and fix dates for such.”

Therefore, the decision regarding the feasibility of the elections holding as scheduled lies with the commission.

It has been reported that there was no common resolution at the Council of State meeting held in Abuja on Thursday as to whether the February elections would go ahead or not.

Rather, INEC was reportedly given a directive to consult with its National Electoral Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners and political parties on the situation across the country and then announce to Nigerians their final decision.

Mr Babatunde Ogala, however believes that there is a presumption that INEC must have done its consultation as the commission had already come out to say they were ready for the elections.

He also said that the data available on the progress of the electoral body in its distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards showed that there had been a notable improvement in the number of Nigerians who have collected their PVCs.

The Legal Practitioner, who had in an earlier edition of the programme berated INEC for the low distribution rate of the PVCs said that a lot has changed since his last comment as the electoral body had significantly improved.

He pointed out the distribution rate of the PVC in the troubled North-East region of Nigeria as a valid proof that INEC has indeed shown readiness for the polls.

Ogala asked, “Who is afraid of the election?”

He also berated the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, for suggesting the election postponement during a forum in the United Kingdom.

“As a National Security Adviser, if he had any issue for INEC, I do believe he should direct it to INEC and not Chatham House in London,” he said.

Mr Ogala also discussed other issues of concern across Nigeria as the elections get closer.