2023 polls sacrosanct, must hold as planned — Afenifere

Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Tuesday said the Federal Government must ensure that every effort is made to ensure that the general elections slated for February and March this year not only hold successfully but that winner emerges and are sworn in on May 29, 2023, as stipulated by relevant laws.

The Yoruba socio-political group made this call in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Comrade Jare Ajayi.

The statement was in reaction to the threat issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the seeming unabated insecurity in the country might adversely affect the forthcoming general elections that should hold under two months from now.

It would be recalled that the Commission’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke on Monday in Abuja through the Chairman, Board of Electoral Institute, Mr. Abdullahi Zuru, said that if the insecurity in the country was “not dealt with decisively, it could ultimately culminate in the cancellation and/or postponement of elections in sufficient constituencies to hinder declaration of election results and precipitate constitutional crisis”.

Afenifere, however, noted that Nigerians were reassured by the prompt statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in which he vowed that nothing would stop the elections as scheduled.

The group said it felt that there was the need to let anyone thinking of postponement or cancellation of the elections that such a thing was and would remain unacceptable, no matter the reason, even as it recalled that in 2015 and 2019, “and elections were not stopped”.

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“But we feel that there is the need to let anyone thinking of postponement or cancellation of the elections that such a thing is and will remain unacceptable, no matter the reason.

“We recall that in 2015, there was insecurity too to the extent that some local government areas, specifically in Borno State, were in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists. Yet elections were held. There also was insecurity in 2019 and elections were not stopped,” Afenifere said.

Speaking further, Afenifere said it felt the need to sound this note of warning so that whoever might be thinking of postponing or altering the elections’ calendar should know that such a thing would not be accepted.

“In Nigeria, there is often the tendency to fly a kite. Most of the time, such kites are on policies or steps that were usually not in the best interest of the Nigerian public. This is why it is very important to clearly sound this note of warning without any ambiguity. This is why we are stating clearly that Nigerians are prepared for the elections just as the whole world is awaiting the elections. Nothing whatsoever should alter the schedule or cause is postponement let alone cancellation,” it said.

The pan- Yoruba socio-political group, while noting the assurance by the INEC Chairman that his Commission was not leaving anything to chance in ensuring that security was provided “for the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections,” encouraged the electoral body to be committed to delivering what was contained in this statement to Nigerians.

According to the group, the Commission has, so far, demonstrated its commitment to giving the country an election package that will be celebrated positively, saying this was in line with various assurances that President Muhammadu Buhari had repeatedly given “that this year’s elections will not only hold, but will be free, fair and credible.”

It said the president had also repeatedly expressed his desire to retire to his country home in Daura, Katsina State immediately after he hands over on May 29, 2023.

Afenifere, therefore, called on all concerned to ensure that nothing was done to suggest that these assuring words of President Buhari were a veil that could be used by the unscrupulous to hoodwink Nigerians into a false hope.

“So much has been invested into the forthcoming general elections. Everything must be done to ensure that the elections are held and held successfully” Afenifere spokesperson concluded.