ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Protesters storm INEC office, demand postponement of this month’s general elections

Protesters protesting in an INEC office in Lagos last year; Photo credit: Babsol.com.ng

Protesters storm INEC office, demand postponement of this month’s general elections

byFestus Owete
February 3, 2015
3 min read

Protesters numbering about 100 stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Monday, demanding the postponement of this month’s general elections.

The youth gathered at the INEC headquarters in the Maitama District of Abuja asking it to delay the polls because of the difficulty in the distribution of the Permanent Voters Card, PVCs.

The protest confirmed PREMIUM TIMES exclusive story of last Thursday revealing the plot by the Presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] to organize nationwide protest against the electoral body to force it to shift the polls.

According to the protesters, only 40 per cent of the poll had been distributed ahead of the February 14 and 28 elections.

They also claimed that INEC needed 960,000 ad hoc staff but that at the time of their protest the staff had not been engaged.

They argued that if the polls were allowed to go ahead as scheduled, several million Nigerians would not be able to vote.

The youth, who gathered at Unity Fountain beside Hilton Hotel before marching to the INEC headquarters on Zambezi Street, were bearing banners and placards with the inscriptions such as “Election is for general participation, not for selective few” “INEC, do the right thing,” “Don’t disenfranchise Nigerians,” “We demand for the extension of election to allow Nigerian exercise their franchise.”

After the protest, the youth returned to the Unity Fountain where they were sighted sharing money.

It was not clear if they were sponsored by the Presidency or the PDP, but sources indicated that they were hired by some unnamed individuals who promised them money.

RelatedNews

VIDEO: Why FEC approved additional N8.39 billion for Sokoto-Tambuwal road – Fashola

INEC adjusts thresholds for creation of new polling units across Nigeria

Buhari greets Oshunkeye, 2006 CNN African Journalist of the Year, at 65

U.S. COVID-19 cases rise as more states ease restrictions

The National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel, had at an event in London recently made a case for the shift of the elections to give INEC more time to distribute all the PVCs.

However, criticisms trailed the call with Nigeria’s leading opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, alleging that Mr. Dasuki was only making the call to buy time for the PDP presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign to gather steam.

Since the NSA made the call some individuals and groups have also asked for the postponement of the polls.

TEXEM

PREMIUM TIMES had on January 29 reported that the party and the presidency had concluded plan to mobilize women and youth groups across the country to march on INEC headquarters and its offices across the country to demand postponement of the elections.

The report reads:

Barring any change in their plan, the Nigerian presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] will any moment from now begin to instigate protests against the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] as a way of forcing the commission to postpone the February 14 and 28 general elections.

Presidency and PDP insiders told this newspaper Thursday that as part of the plot to postpone the elections, women and youth groups across the country would be procured to march on INEC headquarters and state offices with placards, complaining about the electoral body’s refusal to deliver their Permanent Voter Cards [PVC] to them.

The protesters will then call for a postponement of the election so they would not be disenfranchised.

To perfect the plans for the widespread plans, PREMIUM TIMES understands that several planning meetings have been held by officials of the PDP, the party’s presidential campaign council and some presidency officials on how to finance the women and youth groups to undertake the protests.

ADVERTISEMENT

A source familiar with the matter, but who declined to be named for security reasons, said the protesters are expected to gather in INEC offices to protest the inability of the commission to distribute the Permanent Voters Card and ask for the postponement of the elections.

“The protest will begin in Abuja after which similar ones will hold in various offices across the country, billions of naira has already been approved,” our source said.

He also said the latest move is a follow up to the kite flown by the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, calling for the postponement of the polls on account of INEC’s inability to distribute PVCs.

Mr. Dasuki called for the postponement in London, while addressing an audience at Chatham House.

However, the INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, has stated that the measures taken by the Commission for the distribution of PVCs would be enough to overcome the challenges being faced in the distribution of the cards.

INEC also said it has so far distributed 42.77 million PVCS out of the 68.8 million registered voters, representing 62.15 per cent.

Since Mr. Dasuki’s call for postponement of the polls, several Nigerians and groups, especially, the All Progressives Congress, APC, have maintained that the Presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are pushing for postponement because of the fear of failure.

The PDP and Presidency have both denied being behind the postponement move. But our source said Wednesday’s meeting has confirmed that PDP officials wanted more time to explore ways of turning around what appears a “change” momentum in the country.

“They agreed that the best thing to do is to force a postponement to allow the party recover effectively,” another presidency source said.

“They also agreed that the momentum to attack the integrity of General Buhari must be maintained before any election is allowed,” he said.

The spokesperson for the PDP presidential campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode, as well as the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Rufai Alkali, could not be reached to comment for this story.

While Mr. Fani-Kayode’s telephone lines failed to connect, Mr. Alkali did not answer or return calls.

The spokesperson for the APC, Lai Mohammed, had issued a statement Wednesday saying, a newspaper advert plainly calling for election shifts has the imprint of the PDP and Presidency.

”There is no clearer indication that the PDP and the Presidency are the puppeteers behind the election shift campaign than Wednesday’s newspaper advertorial plainly campaigning for the polls to be shifted.

”This advert, which has the picture of President Goodluck Jonathan and the logo of the PDP – meaning they will be the sole beneficiaries of the postponement they are seeking – leaves no one in doubt that the ruling party and the presidency are pathologically dishonest, deliberately deceptive and chronically terrified about the elections,” Mr. Mohammed said.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (182)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Nigeria Elections: IGP orders special security for INEC

Next Post

UN Security Council condemns continued attacks by Boko Haram

Festus Owete

Festus Owete

Festus Owete is PREMIUM TIMES' general editor. He also coordinates the newspaper's politics desk, a beat he has covered for decades. He holds degrees from the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos. Twitter: @FOwete

More News

Idriss Deby [PHOTO CREDIT: @MIdrissDebyItno]

Like Buhari, world leaders mourn Déby but keep mum on Chadian army’s ‘coup’

April 21, 2021
Chris Ngige

Why meeting with Nigerian govt failed to hold – JUSUN

April 21, 2021
Ahmed Lawan in plenary [PHOTO CREDIT: @NgrSenate ]

Senate approves Buhari’s external loan request of $1.5bn, €995m

April 21, 2021
COVID-19 palliatives

How COVID-19 palliatives were hijacked, distributed among party loyalists – Report

April 21, 2021
Idriss Deby [PHOTO CREDIT: @MIdrissDebyItno]

Chad: Rebels threaten to take over capital after President Deby’s killing

April 21, 2021
Greenfield-University, Kaduna

Bandits attack university in Kaduna, kidnap students

April 21, 2021
Next Post
UN Security Council condemns continued attacks by Boko Haram

UN Security Council condemns continued attacks by Boko Haram

NNPC allays fear of fuel scarcity as it fixes vandalised pipeline in Ogun

NNPC allays fear of fuel scarcity as it fixes vandalised pipeline in Ogun

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Access Bank Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,655,731 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
    • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.