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Presidential candidates of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) Kingsley Moghalu and Fela Durotoye on Saturday reacted to the postponement of the general elections by the Independent Natioanl Electoral Commission (INEC).
In his reaction, the YPP candidate, Moghalu on Saturday said INEC’s postponement of the elections signposted the recycling of failure under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said the general elections were also postponed in 2015 under the PDP government, and that Nigerians should remain calm and resolute to vote for a new kind of leadership.
Recall that INEC postponed the presidential election and election into the National Assembly slated for today, and elections for the governorship and the state Houses of Assembly, originally slated for March 2nd, by one week.
Moghalu, who expressed disappointment with the development, described it as burdensome with serious implications.
“School children will now face further disruptions to the school calendar. Economic activities will suffer further setbacks,” he said.
“And Nigerians who have travelled to various parts of the country to vote or monitor the elections that would have held today now face logistical nightmares.
“I would like to thank the teeming volunteers of my campaign and supporters of our party, the YPP, for their service to our country. Let us ensure this election is a watershed for the liberation of our country from the vice-like grip of incompetence and lack of vision.
“I remain committed to providing our country the needed visionary and competent leadership,” Moghalu said.
Also expressing his dissatisfaction, the presidential candidate of Alliance for New Nigeria, Mr Fela Durotoye described the postponement of the elections until next Saturday as a global disgrace.
“We are so disappointed with the announcement of the postponement of the elections. It (the elections) should have happened today (Saturday). Today was a day that history was supposed to be made,” he said on Saturday in a broadcast on Instagram Television, popularly known as IGTV.
Durotoye however appealed to the electorate not to be dismayed by the development.
“They can only delay the elections, they can’t delay our destiny, which is to have a new Nigeria where promises are kept,” he stated.
“We don’t need this national embarrassment. This is a national disappointment and embarrassment. It is a global disgrace.”
The 47-year-old ANN presidential candidate said it was baffling how after having four years to prepare, the Independent National Electoral Commission wasn’t adequately prepared.
He argued that there were brilliant people in the country who could have organised the elections without logistics problem due to their expertise in project management.
He said, “Everywhere across the world, people set dates. For four years, they knew we were going to have elections. How do we postpone elections at 3am on the day of elections?
“People had left their homes because the system did not work, they couldn’t transfer their Permanent Voter Cards, so they travelled. People left their children at home to travel to vote to deliver a new Nigeria. Some came in from abroad.”
Durotoye said the elections postponement was a “systematic way to frustrate the people, to disenfranchise them, especially first-time voters.”
But, he said people were now wiser and would not be discouraged.
“I challenge the youth to be awake. They should not be discouraged. Your efforts would only amount to waste if you don’t show up at the polling booth next Saturday,” he said.