“Gross Incompetence” – Nigerians React Negatively To Last Minute Postponement of Election by INEC

Nigerians have reacted to the sudden postponement of the 2019 election by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which was scheduled to hold on Saturday the 16th of February.

The postponement came hours after PREMIUM TIMES reported that logistics challenges in some parts of the country may force the commission to review its preparedness for the elections.

According to Mr Yakubu, the Presidential and National Assembly elections have been postponed to February 23 while the Governorship and State Assembly elections have been moved to March 9, 2019.

Reacting to the development, many Nigerians have accused the electoral commission of dancing to the tune of the Federal Government, colluding with them to orchestrate the postponement.

The former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, in his reaction, said the INEC Chairman is acting out a script prepared by the presidency.

“@inecnigeria under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is obviously acting a script prepared by the Presidency cabal but Nigerians will defeat them all together.” https://twitter.com/GovAyoFayose/status/1096589860343869440?s=19

I said it two days ago that they were considering postponement of the elections because they knew that they can’t win. Now I have been vindicated. With this postponement, they have only succeeded in making their situation worse. Nigerians will defeat this tyranny ultimately. https://t.co/gghx5sfOmf

Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo also said the postponement is “disappointing.”

“Mr. President was already in Daura in Katsina State and the VP already in Lagos to vote this morning before the postponement just announced by INEC. This is truly disappointing, but the march to the Next Level continues. Nigeria will prevail.” https://twitter.com/akandeoj/status/1096593139492638720?s=19

A Twitter user, @ikechukwu887 said: “the INEC Chairman gave no logical reason to postpone the election.

“A logistical nightmare? We haven’t learnt from history in this country. This has taken us to the stone age. The INEC chairman, gave no logical reasons to balance our psyche; which means he saw this coming.” https://twitter.com/Ikechukwu877/status/1096591778436780034?s=19

Another user, Waheed Alabede said: “The postponement will cause voter apathy. We should be able to rely on @inecnigeria schedules in making our travel plans. You had 36 solid months to prepare for the election Prof Yakubu. I am deeply sorry for our Youth Corpers who were on this assignment.” https://twitter.com/wFalabede/status/1096595694352248833?s=19

Lambasting the INEC chairman, a Twitter user @olaseniaz said: “I am beginning see Nigerian professors as highly overrated when charged with piloting affairs of government. If they are not charged with same corruption as the touts in government, they don’t leave d organisation they lead any way better. Only few have have excelled in government.” https://twitter.com/olaseniaz/status/1096597500671213568?s=19

Taiwo Ola Gideon, a Youth Corper expressed displeasure over how they (Youth Corps members) were left in the cold only to hear that election has been postponed.

“It’s so disheartening that we were exposed to cold only for the ELECTION to be postponed at a very short notice by INEC.

Sincerely this country is messed up.” https://twitter.com/tywo_citadel/status/1096602761897095168?s=19

See other reactions below:

@farooqkperogi: “I’ve been reliably told that internal polling by the APC & d Aso Rock cabal showed that if the election held on Saturday, they’d lose really badly. So, like Jonathan in 2015, they prevailed on INEC to postpone it. But they’re only postponing the inevitable. Buhari will be history”

https://twitter.com/farooqkperogi/status/1096589122821672961?s=19

@PEEBAT: “This is gross incompetence,  INEC has 3 years to prepare for this election  am dissapointed.”

@cassey300: “INEC has failed. An election that was fixed for over 6months, people made plans with this date. It took you four years to plan and what you cannot get ready in four years, you want to fix in 7 days. People has already worked with this date and next week is too sudden. #FailedINEC”

https://twitter.com/Cassey300/status/1096605069968064514?s=19

@peckslite: “I had 1% hope for Nigeria cant believe its gone …….Why will INEC treat us like this??? No accommodation, No food No Tfare paid, No security!!! Jezz am done Nigeria@atiku @inecnigeria @nysc_ng @nysc_lagos  @nysc_ng”

https://twitter.com/peckslite/status/1096605012816470018?s=19

@bddgr8: “Barely 24 hours to a general election in Nigeria…

Bam!

INEC “postpones” the election.

The drama playing out here is #Dictatorship vs #Democracy https://t.co/Br8a6ImnCr

@abdullahibig9; “A very big disappointment on inec and Nigeria in general the inec chair should resign he is not competent may Almighty God give the best leaders victory Ameen”

@aikhume: “INEC i hope you can see https://t.co/JmHdxTRlrR didn’t provide accommodation for ad-hoc staffs then you had to postpone the election. INEC IS A DISGRACE https://t.co/So5FvzByEn

@malizu4: “INEC  only wanted to kill our energy and hype towards this election!! We are still going to show our haters that we want to take charge of our destiny!! Our energy will even be more massive that today’s !! Nothing can stop us ! Nothing can stop Gods plan !! Not even delay!”

https://twitter.com/malizu4/status/1096604975738875904?s=19

@ahmadreuters: “Postponing general elections 3 hours to the polls is a tragedy to this country.

Shame on INEC.”