President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, SAN, has
said that the Association is disappointed with the postponement of
the General Elections by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC).
Mr. Usoro made this statement in a press release dated the 16th
day of February, 2019, and made available to TheNigerialawyer
(TNL).
According to him, none of the reasons given by the Commission
justifies the reason for postponing the Election. He, however,
asked Nigerians to give the Commission the benefit of the doubt to
conduct a free, fair and credible elections.
See Full Statement:
1. The Nigerian Bar Association is confounded by and
disappointed with the postponement by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (“INEC”), in the wee hours of this morning, of
the elections that were scheduled to hold today, 16 February 2019
and on 02 March 2019. We are confounded by the postponement,
considering the serial assurances that INEC had, prior to this
morning, given of its preparedness for the conduct of the
elections; INEC had also expressly assured that postponement of the
elections was not howsoever in contemplation. Our disappointment is
compounded by the fact that none of the reasons that INEC has
proffered justifies the postponement; all the reasons, with some
diligence, could have been remediated.
2. It was particularly unkind for INEC to announce the
postponement only hours to the opening of the polls for the
national elections today, knowing as we all do that most Nigerians
register for elections in their States of origin and had traveled
there from their various stations to exercise their civic rights.
The cost in manhours, resources and inconveniences cannot be
readily quantified not to mention the risk to personal safety.
Worse, we run the risk that some who may have to return to their
work stations early next week may not be able to travel again for
the rescheduled polls next weekend. We read the INEC announcement
and listened to its broadcast to hear how INEC intends to mitigate
that possibility and nothing was said in that regard.
3. INEC needs to be reminded that a free, fair and credible
election starts with the preparations therefor by the Electoral
Commission. If the Commission is unable to exercise its functions
without avoidable glitches, it is difficult to see how it could
justifiably impose sanctions on infracting political parties who
give excuses for their infractions similar to the ones that INEC
has given today for the postponement of the elections. Regulatory
authorities such as INEC require discipline and foresightedness to
carry out their functions. It is only by imbibing those twin
virtues, amongst others and showing same by conduct that they can
justifiably sanction infracting parties over whom they exercise
regulatory control.
4. NBA hopes that the new dates of 23 February 2019 and 09
March 2019 for the rescheduled elections are sacrosanct and the
preparations therefor will be foolproof and glitch-free. Our
democracy can only prosper and be strengthened if our electoral
umpire does not give room for disputation of election results
through sloppy arrangements and inadequate preparations. Our
elections can only be adjudged free, fair and credible if INEC does
not give room for speculations or concerns about its readiness and
preparations for the elections. Nigerians can only have faith in
the electoral process if, amongst others, there is no room for
suppositions as to the motives – hidden, ulterior or unknown – of
INEC for taking certain actions, including but not limited to the
postponement of elections.
5. In concluding, we urge Nigerians not to give up or tire
out. We must give INEC the benefit of the doubt and turn out in our
numbers to vote for the parties of our choice on the rescheduled
dates for the elections i.e. 23 February 2019 and 09 March 2019. As
the NBA pointed out in its 2019 New Year Message:
“This is the year that we would decide both at the national
and States levels how we wish to be governed and into whose hands
we will entrust our affairs and lives .
The decisions of our rulers directly impact and determine
the course of our lives. It determines the quality of our lives,
not only from an economic standpoint but also from our health,
longevity and developmental standpoints. Our decisions at the polls
will determine the quality of life for our youths and children from
an educational prism as well as from the perspectives of employment
and self-development opportunities. The quality of rulers that we
will vote into power this year will determine whether we move from
a perennially consumptive economy into a productive and hopefully
an industrialized economy; it would determine whether we would, in
our lifetimes ever be assured of such basic necessities like
pervasive energy supply and provision of potable water and primary
health care for our citizens. The Elections of 2019 should and
must therefore serve as a defining moment for our
country.”
Paul Usoro, SAN
President