2015 POLLS: ABATEMI-USMAN CONDEMNS CALL FOR ELECTION POSTPONEMENT

The Kogi Central Senatorial candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman has described the call for the postponement of the general elections billed to hold on February 14 and 28, 2015 as completely unnecessary, warning that such action should not be contemplated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on media and publicity, Michael Jegede, the Senator who recently defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to PPA, said the consequence of any delay beyond the already stipulated dates for the polls will be too grave to imagine.

The statement reads in part: “I wish to condemn in very strong term the call by some people for a postponement of the general election scheduled to hold on February 14 and 28, 2015.

"Rather than call for a postponement at this stage of our preparation for the election, on the ground that some electorate are yet to get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), all that ought to be done should be done for all registered voters to collect their PVCs before the election.

"Postponement should not be contemplated at all with all the preparations and planning that have been done by the various political parties and their candidates and even the electoral body, INEC.

"Honestly, it is just too late in the day to think of postponement. It will portray us as unserious people in the eyes of the international community and this will not speak well of us as a nation.

“From what we have seen in the campaign field Nigerians are eager and anxious to see the election come and go for them to know who their next crop of leaders would be.

"The Federal government could go by the suggestion of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (the body of all registered political parties in the country), to declare a public holiday to enable those yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the election.

"Or better still, let those set of people who will be unable to get their PVCs before the election be allowed to use their Temporary Voters Cards. It will just be too costly to contemplate postponement at this point in time. It is only those who are anticipating loss and not sure of victory for their parties and candidates in the coming election that will support such an unreasonable call for deferment of the election.”