By Jonathan Eze
The Deputy Director, Field Operations of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential campaign council, Mr. Muhammad Jibrin Barde, has described the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly election as a product of gross negligence, sheer ineptitude of planning and implementation.
In a statement made available to journalists at the weekend, Barde stated that the reasons adduced by the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, were flimsy and untenable for an independent body that is accountable to Nigerians and which the present administration had ensured that this independence is maintained and without any interference except for ensuring that all funding request is granted with alacrity.
Barde further advised that all sensitive materials already deployed to states and local governments as in the case of his home state in Gombe among others should be withdrawn and new one, with different security features be produced and re-distributed for the exercise to be seen as credible.
The statement read in parts: “The postponement of the poll is an embarrassment that connotes gross negligence sheer incompetence and ineptitude of planning and implementation, with an undertone of political influence.
The fact that Only PDP members have inside knowledge of the postponement shows political influence by the major opposition party in the decision to postpone the elections.
“How can you explain holding a meeting late at night of the Election Day and simply and shamelessly announced a postponement at 2:24am on the day of the election on a flimsy excuse of logistics, weather condition and court cases.
“This is a man who came out publicly months and few days ago and announced to the whole world that INEC was prepared adding that everything they asked for had been granted and approved.
“One week is like one hour. Before you say jack, the week is gone. How are we sure that the commission can deliver in a week?
“It was sheer gross ineptitude of planning and implementation and for the integrity and credibility of the election, I am equally calling for the destruction and reproductions of sensitive materials in a different colour other than in the current colours as the ones sent to the states have already been distributed across many states.
“In Gombe, all election materials have been distributed across the state and to all the polling units in villages. We don’t have an idea who has access to these materials or those who will accost these materials.”
