ODIGIE-OYEGUN, IHONVBERE LAUD COMMISSION OVER POSTPONEMENT

By NBF News
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THE Vice Pesidential Candidate of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, a former Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday commended the Independent National Electoral Commission's decision to postpone last weekend's National Assembly election.

However, the Benin National Congress (BNC), a socio-cultural group, said Jega's decision smacks of betrayal of thrust bestowed on him by Nigerians and called for his resignation.

Those who spoke with The Guardian said the decision was taken belatedly as Nigerians were already mobilised for the election before the sudden shift, which they said created a lot of discomfort.

In separate interviews in Benin City yesterday,  Odigie-Oyegun and Ihonvbere said they still believed in the credibility of the leadership of INEC headed by Prof. Attahiru Jega.

The ANPP vice presidential candidate said: 'I do not blame him for the decision to postpone it; it was inevitable. What I blame him for is the lack of perception because by Thursday last week, it had become clear that those materials were no longer under his control and by Friday night, it has become clearer that he does not have the materials under his control; even on Friday night. He should have informed Nigerians of the postponement. But to allow the voters to come out for the election and passing through accreditation, he put the nation virtually on the brink of disaster. But the good thing is that he cancelled the election nationwide.'

He added: 'But now, there is a credibility problem and unless everything from now goes clockwise and he is able to tell us what happened to all the ballot papers that have been issued out and swear on the Qur'an if need be that they have all now been retrieved - because the ballot papers are now in the public domain since they have been issued. But have they now been collected back? The whole thing is unfortunate because he did not make up his mind on time. If he had done that, he would have saved us the kind of terrible embarrassment that this nation was put to internationally. He made a terrible error of judgment.'

Also, Ihonvbere stated: 'I believe those who are calling for Jega to resign are those who are trying to perpetrate crisis during the election, frustrate the electoral process and create a situation. I condemn it; I reject it.'

A statement yesterday by the founding president of the BNC, Ayemekuhe Edokpolor, said: 'I wish to declare that whereas I was one of those who endorsed Jega as the most credible Nigerian to head the electoral body - he was like a square peg in a square hole - I am constrained to withdraw the support because the postponement has further threatened the fragile political structure of the country.

'The reason he adduced for the postponement questions his capacity to manage the organisation. If he has said he was postponing to demobilise thugs and terrorist recruited for the election, we would have applauded him. He has shown that he was not actually in control and that has cast doubts on his credibility. He has been  preparing for about to five months, so what will seven days do to properly organise the process, but I pray that he succeeds.'