Politics

Dickson expresses doubts over INEC readiness for elections

Published

5 years ago

February 19, 2019

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Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has cast doubts around the preparation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday as rescheduled.

He said the six-day period between the initial date and the rescheduled date would never be enough for the electoral commission to attend to the logistics issues that forced the postponement of the poll.

Dickson made this note while speaking to journalists at the Government House in Yenagoa on Monday.

He blamed stakeholders for the lop-sidedness that has characterised the 2019 election.

According to him, removing the INEC boss as calls from some quarters demanded, would further plunge the country into constitutional crises with the Judiciary having too much to chew already.

“This postponement belittled our country. It doesn’t show us as a serious country. Unless all stakeholders drop the habit of name-calling and claiming to be right, we are moving close to a major constitutional crisis.”

“If anything should go wrong, we will have a full-blown crisis; crisis of succession at a time the Supreme Court is also undergoing crisis. We should not call for the removal of the INEC chairman. If INEC is in crisis and the Supreme Court is in crisis, I don’t know where we are headed.

To ensure the nation does not experience a national embarrassment as witnessed last week, he suggested President Muhammadu Buhari summon stakeholders, including National Council of State to assess INEC’s preparations.

“I call on President Muhammadu Buhari as the leader of the country to convene an emergency meeting of the National Council of State to enable service chiefs and INEC brief stakeholders on their preparations.

“The meeting should involve the political party chairmen with the presidential candidates to examine the developing scenario which may plunge our country into crisis. I believe that if we all sit down and know the circumstances, we should agree on a new date.

“I disagree with INEC’s unilateral announcement of Saturday as a new date. I do not believe that all the challenges that INEC has can be resolved within six days. A more sensible approach is needed. Our nation cannot afford another postponement.”