The Buhari Youth Organisation, Yobe State chapter, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to allow the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to discredit its prestige as it plans for a successful election in March 2015.
Addressing newsmen in Damaturu the Yobe State capital, the State Chairman of the organisation, Bashir Bukar Ba’ale, said that the organisation accepts, in good faith, the postponement of the February 2015 elections but warned that there shouldn’t be any further shift in the date of the election as such would not auger well for the nation’s democracy.
The Chairman said, “Evidence given for the shift in the date of the election are not sufficient but since INEC acted within the ambit of law, we have accepted the postponement in good fate but any further postponement is an insurgency to democracy.”
On the issue of insecurity and elections in Yobe State, the Chairman recalled that despite the security challenges bedevilling the state and the north-east region of the country, the Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) conducted a successful Local Government Election in 2013.
On the back of this, he said that INEC should not hide under the canopy of insecurity to thwart the smooth democracy the country has enjoyed over the years.
The organisation also expressed confidence in the capability of the country’s security agencies and urged them not to allow the PDP-led government to discredit them in the democratisation process of the country.
The leader of the Buhari supporters also revealed that the distribution of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) in the state has recorded 80% success, pointing out that even the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have collected their PVCs.
While rejecting any attempt for an interim government, the organisation, according to him, supports the use of the card reader during the forthcoming election, saying it would greatly reduce fraud and other electoral malpractices the country had passed through in the past.
