The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu has assumed Nigerians and international community that the nation’s elections will hold on February 23 except “ only an Act of God” that
can stop it.
The commission had on early hour of February 16 rescheduled Presidential and National
Assembly election slated for Saturday 23 February and governorship and state house of assembly shifted to March 9, 2019.
Prof . Mahmood Yakubu stated this in Abuja while addressing a cross – section of the diplomatic community and international election monitoring groups in Nigeria, for the 2019 General Election.
The briefing which was organised by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
conjunction with INEC , is aimed at
engaging with friends and partners of Nigeria on the rescheduled election.
Yakubu , who was represented by an
INEC National Commissioner , Dr
Mustapha Lecky , said that the
commission had put in place
everything possible to ensure the
elections are held on Saturday .
The INEC boss said that the
commission had no reason to feel that anything would stop the conduct of the election on February 23.
He said the commission had developed a six – point agenda of what needed to be done to ensure the success of the election
He also said that the commission has completed the deployment of
materials.
“ We believe that as a prayerful nation the act of God has been assuaged and that things will go right , we have no reason to feel that anything will go wrong.
“We have received all the materials, they have been checked , audited, people have been informed, party agents have gone there to check,” he said.
The official said that INEC had already taken responsibility for the
postponement and that the body was
committed to surpass achievement of
previous elections in the country .
He blamed the postponement on
logistics and problems associated with the primaries of some political parties , which according to him delayed the printing of ballot papers.
(NAN )