Lawmaker, voters lament election postponement

MEMBER representing Ido/Ibarapa East federal constituency in the green chamber of the National Assembly, Honourable Sunday Adepoju, as well as other voters in Ibarapa East local government have described the postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections as uncalled for.

Speaking with Tribune Online at his residence in Eruwa on Saturday, Adepoju, noted with disdain the way and manner the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) went about postponing the election which he said the body has a whole four years to prepare for.

Adepoju said: “I’m still baffled by the reasons cited for the postponement. When INEC says the election was shifted due to logistics reasons, is it funds or lack of manpower? To the best of my knowledge as a federal lawmaker, they have all the resources for the election at their disposal having presented its budget which was duly approved.

“If there was the need to postpone the election why not 24 hours to its commencement? The postponement will no doubt affect the country socially and economically because there are some people who have scheduled their social functions and business trips for the new dates fixed by INEC.”

The candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), however, said: “The postponement of the election is uncalled for and should be condemned totally. Let me also state that no matter the extent of the antics behind the postponement, the will of the people would prevail and I strongly believe the postponement would not discourage voters to come out next week Saturday to exercise their civic duty,” he concluded.

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When Tribune Online visited Ward 1, Oke-Oba, Eruwa, on Saturday morning, prospective voters were seen discussing the postponement of the election, a majority of them argued that INEC has lost the confidence the people reposed in them.

One of them, Mr Akeem Adebambo, who spoke with Tribune Online said he was shocked when he got to the polling unit and could not find any INEC official in sight.

“I never had the premonition that the election would be postponed. I went to bed last night with the intention to come out this morning to cast my vote for the candidates of my choice. It came to me as a surprise when I was told that the election has been postponed.

“As far as I am concerned, I see no reason for the election to be postponed because INEC has four years to prepare. If they now say they had to postpone the election due to logistics reasons, then the electoral body should be overhauled, because what happened today means that those saddled with the responsibility of managing the affairs there are not competent.”

At Ward 2, Anko, also in Eruwa, it was the same story as prospective voters were lamenting the shift on the election date. Mr Hammed Ogundoyin, while speaking with Sunday Tribune said: “I do not have much to say, this country has become a joke. How can you tell me that an election you have been preparing for four years has to be postponed less than six hours to its commencement?

“Do you know how much that has been wasted on this election? Is it not an act of corruption the present administration says it is fighting? Because to the best of my understanding, INEC is going to spend more than what was budgeted for the election which may not be easy to account for. The only thing I want to suggest now is for the chairman of INEC and other principal officers to resign.”

The situation is not different in Isaba Ward 3, Aborerin Ward 4, New Eruwa Ward 5, Okolo/Sango Ward 6, Lanlate-Imale Ward 7, Maya Ward 9 and Itabo Ward 10 all in Ibarapa East Local government area of Oyo State.