Reactions as INEC postpones Federal House of Reps Elections in Jigawa State

Reactions have started trailing the postponement of elections for Federal House of Representatives by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Jigawa state following shortage of sensitive electoral materials for four (4) of the 11 federal constituencies in the state.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state Haliru Tambawel who  announced the postponement friday night in Dutse said “the short-fall of Sensitive materials including ballot papers and results sheets for seven of the 11 Federal Constituencies would mean elections would be conducted for only four (4) federal constituencies.”
This was greeted with dissatisfaction as the leaders of political parties present suspected it was another plan to stall the process.

These representatives of the various Political parties present at the INEC state Headquarters therefore resolved that, “for elections to be called off in seven of the Constituencies, it is better non is held in the entire state to elect members for the Federal House of Representatives.”

Tambuwal said the materials coming from the Central Bank of Nigeria where they were kept did not include those from Dutse/Kiyawa, Ringim/ Taura, HadeJia/Kafin Hausa/Auyo,  and Jahun Miga federal Constituencies.
Others listed for the initial shift due to the same reason included Gumel/Maigatari/Sule Tankarkar/ Gagarawa, Kaugama/Malam-madori and Gwaram Federal constituencies.

The four (4) Constituencies where materials were all ready for the election according to Tambawal includes Babura/Garki, Birnin Kudu /Buji, Birniwa/ Guri/Kirikasamma and Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/’yankwashi federal constituencies in the state.

Meanwhile in Dutse, the state capital the chairman of the Local government Abdullazeez Dankofa said the news of the postponement is received by the electorate but with expressed concern over the inability of the electoral body to prepare adequately for the election despite the six (6) weeks shift from the initial date.

In the same vain, a party chieftain in the state Farouk Aliyu expressed deep disappointment at “the electoral commission’s inability to carry out her responsibilities. The electoral act is clear on it that where there are problems Elections should not be conducted, but where there are no problems, they should go ahead.

” So why postpone the elections in the four (4) constituencies that the materials are available, it is unconstitutional I dare say. We really don’t understand why the elections are postponed in the four constituencies”, Aliyu said.

Hon Sabo Nakudu representing Birnin Kudu /Buji federal constituency said it is looked at as another ploy to frustrate the will of the people. “Since they did not succeed in getting another postponement, they are devising various ways to frustrate our voters but we would follow what they have said as law abiding citizens”, he said.
Hon. Nakudu who won his elections as a federal legislator on the platform of the People’s Pemocratic Party (PDP) is contesting for Senate on the Platform of the opposition All Progressive Alliance (APC) for the Jigawa Central Senatorial district, said they remain optimistic.

However the REC explained that, the Presidential and senatorial elections will hold in all 27 local government areas in the state as scheduled “because the commission has received both sensitive and non sensitive material for the election”.