2019 Election: Postponement reason for effective performance – Observers
Accredited Domestic Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Observers of the last Saturday Presidential and National Assembly Election in the country have noted that the postponement of the date from the 16 February to 23 February necessitated the effectiveness of the election.
The team commended INEC for its immeasurable contributions to the success recorded during the just concluded election which President Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the President Elect.
The Group addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday by its leader, Tunde Bafunaho of the Organization of Justice for Equity Sustenance said: “We Wish to commend the electoral management body, INEC for their immeasurable contributions to the success recorded during the just concluded presidential and National Assembly Election.
“Conducting elections anywhere is never an easy task, requiring the collective input of all stake holders including political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders as well as the entire Citizenry. It is our considered view that the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections originally slated for the l6 of February and 21 of March 2019 respectively, evidently helped in putting certain measures in place that culminated to the success recorded eventually on the 23 of February rescheduled presidential exercise”, he said.
The group also said there is no doubt that the 2019 general elections marked an appreciable improvement to the previous process of 2015.
“We wish to place on record that both sensitive and non-sensitive materials for last Saturday’s elections arrived their various destinations on schedule and adequate for the conduct of both elections with an overwhelming and unprecedented turnout including the massive participation of women.
“Majority of the voters, media, party agents, observers, security agents and poll officials witnessed the sorting of ballots, counting and recording of result sheets signed by all concerned stakeholders and collation of result at the various collection centres, especially local government and State collection centres.
“There was separation of Presidential/ National Assembly collation centres where presiding officers conducted their activities professionally and transparently”.
The Accredited Observers also stressed that all stakeholders that participated in the 2019 Presidential and NASS Elections, performed their roles towards the sustenance of a credible, peaceful, transparent electoral process and democracy in Nigeria.
“INEC having performed satisfactorily in the conduct and monitoring of the exercise, they should strive to sustain such noble attainment during the upcoming Governorship and State Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, 9th March, 2019 and all other future elections.
“Democracy has often been defined as Government of the people, for the people, and by the people, in order words, the essence of democracy and the rule of law is to further advance the good and betterment of any given society and ensure that the Citizenry enjoy unimpeded access to goods and services as may be provided by those elected to preside over their affairs. The power to freely choose leaders of their own must therefore be entirely that of the electorate to make as exemplified by the smooth conduct of last Saturday’s elections.
Winners must be magnanimous in victory while losers must also accept defeat with dignity so that at the end of the day, Nigeria and Nigerians will become the beneficiary”.
