By Dipo Olowookere
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has described inconsistences associated with the preparations for the 2019 generations as supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as “part of a deliberate plot by anti-democratic forces to derail Nigerian democracy and enthrone an interim government in country.
The group made this allegation in reaction to the postponement of the February 16, 2019 presidential and National Assembly polls by INEC this morning.
In a statement by its Secretary General, Mr Willy Ezugwu, the CNPP wondered why “an election that took the electoral umpire four years to prepare for would be postponed at eleventh hour despite assurances by the commission that it was ready for the elections.
“Before now, there has been subtle mussing about plans by some forces to enthrone an interim government on the country and it is becoming obvious that such forces have thrown their evil spanners into the democratic electoral process to have a reason to carry out their clandestine agenda.
“These forces, we suspect, are the same that have carried out systematic arson that led to the destruction of electoral materials and Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) at different parts of the country few days to the election and the killings in Kaduna State on the eve of the election.
“As an umbrella body of all registered political parties and associations in the country, we compelled to alert the nation and urge well-meaning Nigerians and lovers of democracy around the world that the postponement of the election for February 16, 2019 may not have happened as a mere logistics problems as adduced by INEC,” the CNPP scribe stated.
Mr Ezugwu added that, “Even when the rumour of plans to postpone the polls strongly permeated the air days to the planned election date, the electoral umpire reiterated its readiness to go ahead with the exercise as scheduled, we are shocked that INEC suddenly postponed the election about five hours to time of commencement.
“The ruling party and the INEC should be held accountable should our fears come to materialization as there might be another postponement of the rescheduled February 23 national elections.
“We therefore call on the international communities and all election observers to be on the lookout as discovery of already thump-printed ballot papers and written result summary for an election that was yet to take place are part of efforts to rig and cause confusion and prepare grounds for an interim government to be foisted on the country.
“The CNPP and other democratic watchdogs will continue to painstaking interrogate the electoral process with a view to exposing manipulations and electoral fraud capable of marring our hard-earned democracy.”
