The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday said he will not forgive the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for postponing the 2019 general elections.
The APC National Chairman said this Oshiomhole said this while reacting to a National Commissioner of INEC, Festus Okoye, who had said during his presentation at an Electoral Reform Roundtable, that the leadership of the commission was still optimistic as at 5 pm on Friday, February 15, that the election on February 16, will still hold.
He noted that that was why the announcement of the postponement s delayed.
INEC had announced the postponement of the presidential elections a few hours to its commencement, to the disappointment of many Nigerians.
Oshiomhole was one of those who had criticised INEC over the postponement and it seems things have not changed as the former labour president has maintained his position against INEC.
“As at 5 pm on Friday (February 15), some of the materials you (referring to INEC’s National Commissioner, Festus Okoye) needed were still at the airports. How could you have assumed that by some native doctor’s magical something (you could pull it through)?
“Obviously you knew it was not in your competence to increase the day beyond 24 hours. So, obviously you knew and you cannot be pardoned for that. And I refuse to forgive you on that because you knew it and you made us incur costs that were avoidable and you subjected us to severe shocks.
“I don’t think you can defend that. It was gross, inexcusable negligence of duty and crass incompetence on the part of INEC. There is no need to wish it away,” he said.
He, however, quoted the former INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega who said the postponement was still better than the commission giving the country a shabby electoral process.
