· Activist: Such call demands vigilance
By Godfrey AKON
Owing to rising tension across the country, a northern group, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, says it has become imperative for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to grant extension for the conduct of party primaries.
The group said events such as the continued banditry, lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities strike, among others were enough grounds for the extension.
“Media reports suggest that the Christian Association of Nigeria has directed all the state chapters of the religious body to embark on nationwide street protests over the death of a female student accused of blasphemy in Sokoto State, culminating in the imposition of a 24-hour curfew.
“The massive killing of non-indigene traders by gunmen in the South-East and attacks on government facilities have not abated,” National President of the AYCF, Yerima Shettima, said in a statement in Kaduna on Sunday.
According to him, holding party primaries across many states of the Federation (North and South) at the moment may not be feasible because of the growing tensions everywhere, adding that there was a planned nationwide students’ protests in solidarity with ASUU.
“Against this background, the AYCF, therefore, urges “the Independent National Electoral Commission to reconsider the announced date, or at best, stagger the primaries based on security and intelligence information from the various states, especially in well-known flashpoints of violence and arson.
“We urge the security and intelligence service to guide INEC on the safest places to conduct primaries without endangering the lives of innocent voters.
“Most importantly, life is so valuable that we cannot afford to sacrifice it on the grounds of discharging our civic duties. Ordinarily, only people who are alive can vote and voted for.
“We made these suggestions in the interest of safe and peaceful conduct of the primaries across Nigeria, as we hopefully prepare for successful 2023 general election,” the statement reads.
It will be recalled that on February 26, INEC released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities of the 2023 General Election directing political parties to conduct their primaries for the nomination of candidates from April 5 to June 3, 2022.
However, a political activist, Dr. Charles Edet, has kicked against the request, warning that no group should allow itself to be used to derail the electoral process.
“The issue of the timetable for next year’s general elections is a settled matter going by the Electoral Act 2022. The INEC has no powers to alter the calendar for the elections. So the call by anybody or group is ill-advised and should be ignored by the INEC. This is mischief brewing, so Nigerians ought to be vigilante.”
