Senator Abdullahi Adamu representing Nasarawa West in the National Assembly, has said the explanations offered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections are cogent, but untimely.
NAN reports that Adamu, a former two-term governor of Nasarawa State and APC senatorial candidate, stated this while reacting to the reasons tendered by INEC for shifting the elections, on Sunday in Keffi.
According to him, INEC ordinarily should have been aware before 12 midnight on Friday that the elections are having some challenges.
“From the day INEC conducted the last general elections, they know constitutionally the day they are going to conduct next elections.
“I am saddened by the postponement of elections because up till midnight of Friday I was under the impression that the election will hold on Saturday.
“Mine is more than an ordinary interest because I am a candidate in the election and i know the trauma of campaign and trauma of expectations that accompanied candidate in an elections like this,†he said.
The former governor noted that the INEC chairman assured the nation of the polls up to the hour before the announcement for the postponement was made, advising the commission to respect time because time is of essence in anything.
The lawmaker also urged INEC to take lessons and put appropriate measures to avoid a recurrence of what happened, saying “We hope that the assurance given by INEC Chairman will be realised.
“We can be seen not to be growing with this institution and we must be seen to make difference and learn lessons from one episode to the next.
“When or if we don’t it is a sign of failure and we hope we don’t see another postponement of elections,†Adamu said.
He appealed to all candidates who are contesting and stakeholders to bear the lapses, forge ahead and support the electoral umpire.
“The reality is that the explanation that we are receiving from INEC are convincing enough, yet it did not come on time. The timing of the explanation is untimely because time is of essence in anything that we do,†said the APC senatorial flag bearer.
