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The decision to
shift the date of the elections by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) has been hailed by some political parties, which
described the move as a way of saving the country from further
embarrassment.

However, others
have insisted that INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega should resign his
appointment for allegedly embarrassing the nation. The electoral body
yesterday shifted by one week all the elections following the
cancellation of the National Assembly elections last Saturday over
shortage of election materials across the country.

The acting national
chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Haliru Bello Mohammed
hailed the decision to shift the polls and urged the party’s supporters
to remain calm. “We’ll continue to support INEC in delivering free,
fair and credible elections. We need it as it aligns with our political
objective of promoting and establishing political stability in the
country and fostering national integration,” Mr. Mohammed said. “Our
party stands to gain immensely in an atmosphere of free, fair and
credible elections. Therefore no sacrifice is too much for our party in
seeing our elections meet globally-acceptable standards.”

The Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC) said the postponement was a welcome decision
because it will enable INEC to sort out its logistical problems. The
national publicity secretary of the party, Rotimi Fashakin, however
regretted the cancellation of the polls. “We welcome the decision
because we believe it will give INEC enough time to sort out its
logistical nightmares. We believe that it will also help to have
credible polls. We’re ready to go into the polls on Saturday,” he told
NEXT in a telephone interview last night.

Mr. Fashakin
condemned calls for Mr Jega’s resignation, saying instead of that , all
Nigerians should resolve to assist him succeed in his assignment. He
recalled that the electoral bosshad in the past courageously stood on
the path of equity and fairness going by some decision he took.

The spokesman of
the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Emma Eneukwu said the party has
been vindicated because it was the first to reject the Monday date
earlier fixed by INEC after the parliamentary elections had been
cancelled. He said the party had initially demanded that the elections
be held on the same day with the presidential election, but that it is
satisfied with the new dates.

“We had earlier
aligned ourselves with those aid that the National Assembly elections
should be held the same day with the presidential election the reason
being that it will not only save cost, it will ensure that the
elections are conducted freely and fairly,” Mr. Eneukwu said. “The
nation has taken time and resources to prepare for this election and so
it is important that that everything is done properly. Let’s not
hurriedly go into this exercise and forget that if it is not credible,
we have all wasted our time. Parties also need time to prepare again
given the cost of logistics and other things involved.”

The national
chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Dan Nwanayanwu also hailed the
decision to postpone the elections, insisting that it will restore the
confidence of the electorate in the process. Mr. Nwanyanwu said the
political parties told INEC in clear terms at a meeting yesterday in
Abuja that the Monday date earlier fixed for the parliamentary polls
was not feasible and that the new date will allow the commission to
resolve all the problems associated with the process. He advised Mr.
Jega to put all mechanism in place to reassure Nigerians that the
process will be credible so as to avoid apathy on the election day.

False steps

Meanwhile, the
Nigerian Peoples Congress (NPC), on Sunday, asked Mr. Jega to resign
his appointment following his inability to conduct last Saturday
elections, adding that it is the only way he can save his image and the
nation further embarrassment. “It has become necessary for the
Independent National Electoral Commission chairman, Attahiru Jega to
resign following his inability to conduct the National Assembly
elections last Saturday. This is the only way he can save his image and
save the nation further embarrassment,” the party said in a statement
by its national chairman, Ngozi Emioma.

The opposition
party recalled that only last Friday, the INEC boss had assured the
nation and the international community that the commission was ready
for the NASS elections only to announce that the elections had been
postponed due to late arrival of result sheets from Japan. The
cancellation, NPC said, is a national disaster that has once more
proved that Mr. Jega is not ready to conduct transparent polls.

According to the
party, it was wrong for the INEC chairman to unilaterally fix the
Monday date for the election without consulting the political parties.

“To unilaterally
fix Monday, April 4 for the NASS elections without consulting political
parties and other stakeholders shows that Jega is not serious,” the
party said.

The NPC warned the commission “not to take Nigerians for a ride,”
adding that the electoral boss has demoralised the electorate and the
country. “He had earlier made a number of false steps which we strongly
condemned and urged him to sit up and do the right thing. This time he
has ridiculed the national before the whole world. We urge him to
resign immediately.”