Following the postponement of the 2019 general elections, a former governorship aspirant and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Yakubu Gobir, has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to completely change the ballot papers and introduce security features so as to avoid any form of rigging.
He added that INEC would have use Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Commision, (NSPMC), instead of local suppliers in the printing of the ballot papers and other election materials.
The party chieftain who spoke to journalists in Ilorin on Sunday in reaction to the sudden election postponement said: “INEC has glaringly shown that Nigeria’s democracy is still at its infancy.”
“The democratic process in the country is not only inefficient but too expensive. With the present democratic system, there is an over reliance on cheating in the form of rigging and acts of violence to win elections.”
Gobir, who is also the Waziri Hausa however noted that “though, most Nigerians are disappointed by INEC’s last minute postponement, but said it could be a blessing in disguise.
He added that the commission would had made use of NSPMC instead of local suppliers in the printing of the ballot papers and other election materials
Waziri Gobir further alleged that some political parties had spent huge some of money in the run up of Saturday’s elections to sway voters which according to him, is difficult again to come by before the new date fixed for another round of elections.
He reminded INEC that all eyes are on the commission as history would judge Mahmoud Yakubu and his team as the political situation in the country unfolds.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
