Election postponement : Kogi State IPAC condemns INEC action, calls for intervention by National Assembly

The Inter party Advisory Council, (IPAC) Kogi State chapter has condemned Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) for last minute postponement of the elections earlier scheduled for February 16, 2019.

In a joint statement issued on Sunday February 17  by Hon. Badanga Iliyas, IPAC Chairman and Hon. Ibrahim Itodo Chairman Strategy Committee, describing the situation as a monumental institutional  failure on the part of INEC.

The advisory council  condemned in strong terms, the sudden postponement of the election without taking into consideration the devastating effect of this action.

"We are sad because political parties are directly involved, we have mobilized political party agents and stake holders for the Election and on election day INEC decided announce the postponement from the comfort of their office".

According to the statement, "the assurances of this election was severally made known to political parties, civil society organizations and observers that the commission was prepared only to hear this announcement without regards to what political parties and individuals have lost collectively as a country. INEC should be held responsible by Nigerians and all registered political parties for lack of proactive leadership role by Prof. Mamood Yakubu, the Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission. This colossal mistake would have been averted if all the professors in INEC are proactively thinking and taking the entire INEC staffs along. Its purely a failure of leadership, we therefore call for the immediate resignation of those involved in this saga to serve as deterrent, because this mistake is a monumental one and should not be allowed in this great country".

IPAC added that moving forward,  "the  National Assembly should reduce the power and functions of INEC, saying that the commission have so much under it. Listing the functions to include :Registration of political parties, Monitoring  of political parties, Printing of Electoral Materials and distributions, Training of Ad-Hoc and coalition of results among others The world and indeed African Countries are looking unto us to pave the way. We appeal to Nigerians particularly Kogites to bear this unwarranted mistake of INEC to come out on February 23,  2019 to cast their votes to candidates of their choice.

Our Kogi State Correspondent reports that the group  also used this medium to appeal to INEC to ensure the safety of all Electoral materials already distributed.

"All the materials sent to various local government should be retrieved immediately especially the sensitive materials sent on 16th February, 2019".

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