1. Nigeria as a country is divided administratively into 36 states + FCT, 774 LGAs, 6 geopolitical zones, 109 Senatorial districts, 360 Representatives districts, 8800 electoral wards and almost 120,000 polling units. It is not mischievous to expect that any cancelation of elections should be expressly based on the negative mpact of proceeding on a stated number of certain administrative units, possibly number of polling units. Exceeding a certain threshold of compliance should allow the elections to continue, followed by new dates for the remainder if the final results will be impacted thereby.
2. With a country of almost 1 million square kilometers, and very poor transport integration and network of roads, water, air and rail, little wonder that there are logistical challenges in country-wide elections. In Nigeria, ONLY the Presidential election is a national one, in which states add votes together, making staggering of elections of concern. The two options that we have are
(i). Hold Presidential election just by itself, rather than package it with National Assembly elections, which can be staggered.
(ii). Dumping direct presidential elections altigether and making them indirect - like in India say, where the members of federal and state assemblies vote for a President who may or may not be a member of any assembly.
3. I have historically supported the unbundling of INEC functions to various other Commidsions:
(i) To register and discipline parties
(ii). To monitor party finances: a group of CSOs can be empowered to do this.
(III) To organize the elections proper
(iv). To prosecute election mmalpractices
Our present INEC doing all the above is too much.
4. By the way, I don't fully believe the reasons given by INEC for canceling the elections at quarter-to....just seems strange and more to it than meets the eye. But I hope that a re-scheduled set of elections will still lead to free and fair elections - for the sake of Nigerians. And it need not start this coming Saturday.
And there you have it.
Bolaji Aluko
On Sunday, February 17, 2019, Okey Iheduru <okeyiheduru@gmail.com> wrote:
-- On Sunday, February 17, 2019, Okey Iheduru <okeyiheduru@gmail.com> wrote:
"With NO GURANTEE that similar excuses cannot be given after a week's delay, substantial compliance on the first day, followed by staggered polls on succeeding days, with absolutely no nationals results announced in between days would have been far more acceptable ..." -- Bolaji Aluko (emphasis added).Why not? This "winning" strategy worked in Osun State in 2018. Didn't it?"APC's Oshiomhole's: The Only Reaction that Mattered at INEC's Election-Postponement-Explanation Press Conference." -- Bolaji Aluko.Revisionist history, history that's less than 24 hours old? Haba!!!Okey IheduruOn Sat, Feb 16, 2019 at 7:54 PM Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:APC's Oshiomhole's: The Only Reaction that Mattered at INEC's Election-Postponement-Explanation Press Conference Watch:------------------------------Nigerians React:-------My People:Una well done o.. E ku aidibo... E ku asunbosiwaju-fun-one-week...(Speaking in vernacular) More seriously...Scandalous... The only one word that I can use to describe this postponement at almost three hours past midnight, five hours to poll opening.With NO GURANTEE that similar excuses cannot be given after a week's delay, substantial compliance on the first day, followed by staggered polls on succeeding days, with absolutely no nationals results announced in between days would have been far more acceptable if security concerns and unavailability of voting materials were not the issues.We can do so much better as a nation - or can't we?Inquiring minds want to know.Bolaji AlukoShaking his head--------------------Nigeria Decides 2019: What INEC chairman told Oshiomhole about postponing electionsAdams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday afternoon attacked Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over the postponement of the elections.At INEC's press conference to explain the reasons for shifting the polls by a week, Oshiomhole wondered why the commission waited until 2am of the day of the elections, to move it.He described the action of the commission as an embarrassment to the country, demanding that INEC should tender an apology."Why at 2am on the day of the election? Why? The problem is not about the postponement but why 2am on the day of the election. You have explanations to do. If you had told us since, we would have planned."Why didn't you tell us 48 hours ago? You must apologise to Nigerians because you have embarrassed us as a nation," Oshiomhole said.In response, Yakubu said: "Until close to 2am, we were still confident that the elections would hold."--------Oshiomhole demands apology from INEC over 2019 election postponementAuthor: Akinyemi AkinrujomuAPC chairman Oshiomhole has knocked INEC and its chairman Yakubu Mahmood for waiting till the last moment to postpone the 2019 electionsOshiomhole wondered why the the Commission did not issue a notice to Nigerians at least 48 hours before the elections- The former Edo state governor demanded an apology from INEC chairman Mahmood for what he described as a national disgraceChairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole has berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for postponing the 2019 general elections at the eleventh-hour.A furious Oshiomhole said at a stakeholders meeting held by INEC in Abuja on Saturday, February 16 that he and his party were not only disappointed at the actions of the commission but also deserved an apology for the sudden decision.Speaking during the question-and-answer session at the meeting, Oshiomhole wondered why the INEC chairman failed to inform Nigerians about the postponement of the election at least 48 hours before the set date.He added that on behalf of the APC and Nigerians: ""Why at 2am on the day of the election? Why? The problem is not about the postponement but why 2 am on the day of the election? You have explanations to do. If you had told us since we would have planned.We demand an apology from INEC from because you have disgraced us as a nation. Why did you have to wait till 3pm before announcing a postponement if you knew there were logistics issues and bad weather."Replying Oshiomhole, INEC chairman Mahmood tendered an apology even as he noted that his initial speech at the event also contained an apology to every Nigerian on the sudden postponement.Responding to Oshiomhole's question "Why did the commission have to wait till 3am to announce a postponement?" Mahmood said as at 2am, the Commission was confident that the elections would hold as planned.Before Oshiomhole's words, Legit.ng had reported that the APC Presidential Campaign Council condemned the postponement of the general election by INEC.The spokesperson for the presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo, in a statement made available to Legit.ng, condemned the postponement of the elections but urged the APC supporters to remain patient and determined.----
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----Okey C. Ihedurue-mail: okeyiheduru@gmail.comJust published "The African Corporation, 'Africapitalism' and Regional Integration in Africa" (September 2018). DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/
9781785362538 .
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