Obi urges more sacrifice as Obaze, Oye flay electoral commission

Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi has expressed dissatisfaction over postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

He described the adjustment as a waste, saying Nigerians should try to make additional sacrifice to save the nation’s democracy.

Speaking in Onitsha yesterday, Obi expressed concern over the ability of those who traveled to their respective homes or places of registration to return on Saturday to perform their civic duties, lamenting the waste of funds, energy and time.

“The waste associated with the postponement is staggering in view of the fact that Nigerians traveled to their states from different parts of the country and even from abroad to fulfill their civic duties only to get the news of the postponement on elections day,” Obi said.

He urged Nigerians to remain calm and peaceful, while advising PDP supporters to remain committed and if possible, stay behind as further demonstration of their patriotism, stressing: “No sacrifice to get Nigeria working again is a waste.”

Speaking, Chairman of Atiku/Obi Campaign Organisation in Anambra State, Oseloka Obaze wondered how after four years of preparations, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gave excuse of logistics challenges, insisting that the commission has not told Nigerians the whole truth.

Also responding yesterday, National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Oye, who argued that the commission’s action was unjustifiable, said, “We regret the development as we had concluded plans to participate in the election before it was shifted.”

Meanwhile, a former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said Nigerians were more determined than ever to end President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

Okupe stated this yesterday on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, adding: “We will not overreact to the postponement of the election, but we expect INEC to do the right thing at the end. People are determined that this administration has to go whether they are mobilised or not, they are still going to vote out this administration.”

Also, Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Peter Ameh, said critical stakeholders were not carried along at first but they later discovered that INEC acted in the best interest of Nigeria.

“The whole country would have been in chaos if the commission had gone ahead with staggered elections, as it was being planned,” he said.