The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said the postponement of the presidential and national assembly elections has led to loss of confidence in the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC)
CAN also said the postponement is a setback and national embarrassment to the nation.
CAN in a statement in Abuja by its Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Barr Samuel Kwankur, faulted the Chairman of INEC for not apologising to Nigerians and the international community over the postponement.
The development, CAN said, is sad because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had enough time to prepare for the electoral process but failed.
It said: “It is most embarrassing and shameful that a nation as big as Nigeria with many highly qualified professionals to organise elections will be postponing elections in the early morning of that election. It was never this bad for us before.
“This unexplainable postponement is reprehensible, condemnable and unacceptable when smaller nations are doing better.
“With the 2015 election, the whole world is expecting a better electoral process but it seems the INEC is not ready to build on the 2015 foundation. What a pity!”
CAN said economically, the shocking postponement has led to the loss of billions of Naira in terms of movement of election materials nationwide and the closure of our borders, seaports and airports adding that many local and international observers have already come and would either be forced to go back and come again next week or stay for one week at extra cost.
It called on Nigerians especially Christians to pray and stay calm as they look forward to the rescheduled date.
The body added: “No excuse is strong and good enough to justify its postponement in the early morning of an election.
“This development has led us almost losing confidence in INEC and its chairman.
“INEC has disappointed Nigerians and the international community. We hope we would not hear of another postponement again after this.
“From all indications, INEC unilaterally postponed the elections without any input from other stakeholders such as the leading Presidential candidates, their parties, the National Council of States and others.
“We recalled that when it happened in 2015 for “security reasons”, the National Council of State was carried along.
How can you justify the ‘logistics issues’ excuse that came when all stakeholders were already in the fields?”
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