INEC Postpones Presidential/NASS Elections Till Feb. 23 *APC, PDP Kick!

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The Independent National Electoral Commision (INEC) has postponed the

INEC chairman, Yakubu

Presidential and National Assembly elections which was slated for February 16, until Saturday, February, 23.

The INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who made the announcement in Abuja on Saturday morning following an emergency meeting of the commision with key election stakeholders, said it is no longer feasible to proceed with the elections.

He also announced the postponement of the governorship and state assembly elections until March 9, 2019.

“Following a careful review of the implementation of its logistics and operational plan, and the determination to conduct free, fair and credible election, the commission came to the conclusion that proceeding with the election, is no longer visible” said Yakubu.

“This was a difficult decision for the commission to take, but necessary for the successful delivery of our elections, and the consolidations of our democracy,” he added.

According to him, INEC will update other stakeholders of this development by Saturday at the International Conference Center, Abuja.

Nigerians have vented their disappointments on the postponement of the elections with many querying the capacity of INEC under its current leadership to conduct the election despite receiving all the necessary financial support from the federal government.

Recall the immediate governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose had on February 14, insinuated that INEC would shift the elections ostensibly because of the fire that gutted INEC offices in Anambra, Plateau and Abia State.

In a separate reaction Saturday via his verified twitter handle, the governor who is a fierce critic of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, blamed the “cabal” for masterminding the shift in election date, adding that PDP will still defeat APC.

The All Progressives Party (APC) in its statement released Saturday by Festus Keyamo, the spokesman of President Buhari campaign organization lambastes the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for allegedly colluding with INEC to shift the election in order to strategize having failed to garner the required numerical strength to win the election.