The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum has credited the Service Chiefs with saving the country from crises by advising the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to shift the presidential elections in Nigeria from February 14 to March 29, 2015.
Rising from a meeting in Lagos on Monday, the governors, through the Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, Chief Godswill Akpabio, noted that apart from the security situation in the North-East of Nigeria that would have over-stretched the country’s security forces as well as disenfranchised thousands of citizens from the area, the election shift also exposed poor preparedness by the electoral body, a situation that, he said, could possibly have created serious crises in the country.
Akpabio said although the major reason for the shift of the elections was because of the insurgency in the North East, what happened during the period has also exposed the fact that if the polls had gone ahead as earlier scheduled on February 14, there would have been chaos in the country.
“It became obvious after the shift that the Independent National Electoral Commission was not ready for the polls. The fact that INEC was just testing the card reader to be used for the elections three weeks after the shift was an indication that the outcome of the polls would have been unacceptable, especially with the challenges noticed with the card readers,” Akpabio said.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting held in Lagos, Akpabio it was agreed among the governors that the future of Nigeria lies with President Goodluck Jonathan.
While reeling out the achievements of President Jonathan, the Akwa Ibom State Governor said at a time of political tension in the country, it had become imperative for them to speak up and set the records straight. He concluded that the ruling party at the centre, the PDP, was set for the general election and would win it so ensure the great strides of the Jonathan administration would be sustained.
•File photo shows Governor Akpabio fielding questions from newsmen.
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