Nigeria’s political party with aim to birth a new, better and different Nigeria, Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), has responded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the ongoing argument about postponement of the 2019 elections, saying the postponement denial by the Commission is weak and amenable.

While reacting to the release from the electoral body, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Akinloye Oyeniyi, said: “We do not believe that talk from INEC, because we know how these things can be done by those who are actually in control.”

The publicity scribe who is also an expert in legislation and political linguistics gave concrete analysis of what the postponement would look like.

“I can tell you, by the time Section 135 subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution, Section 26 of the Electoral 2010 (As Amended) and large variety of verbal behaviors of the outgoing president, the elites around him, the national chairman of the ruling party, APC, are all subjected to politological investigation, you will understand that INEC denial of postponing 2019 elections is nothing but a time-buying one.”

Reminding Nigerians about what he called statements of “Gaddafi boys”, “ISWAP invasion” and “other statements from the President and security reports and the current overrunning of our military bases by the emboldened Boko Haram terrorists in his last release”,

Oyeniyi said: “These are signs pointing to heavy war against terrorism as we approach the 2019 elections and we should remember the Section 135 subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution which says:- ‘If the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved and the President considers that it is not practicable to hold elections, the National Assembly may by resolution extend the period of four years mentioned in subsection (2) of this section from time to time; but no such extension shall exceed a period of six months at any one time’; only mention war and not kind of war.

"Now I expect Nigerians to understand why the ruling party and its backers have been trying to forcefully take control of the National Assembly by trying to effect change of leadership, because, without the National Assembly, the Section 135 subsection 3 stands not achieved.

“With the failure of the ruling party to secure its hold on the National Assembly, the recent back and forth statements from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as regards Section 26 of the Electoral 2010 (As Amended), cannot be wished away. Especially the wordings of its subsections 3 to 5 stating:-

“(3) Where the Commission appoints a substituted date in accordance with subsections (1) and (2) of this section, there shall be no return for the election until polling has taken place in the area or areas affected.

“(4) Notwithstanding the provision of subsection (3) of this section, the Commission may, if satisfied that the result of the election will not be affected by voting in the area or areas in respect of which substituted dates have been appointed, direct that a return of the election be made.

“(5) The decision of the Commission under subsection “(4) may be challenged by any of the contestants at a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction and on such challenge, the decision shall be suspended until the matter is determined”; so should INEC postpone pursuant to subsection 1 of that Section 26, the postponement can still be elongated by deliberate elongation of the insecurity or disasters that might have caused no voting in those areas, because there won't be any return of the polls until voting has taken place in those theatres of war, and if the Commission should go ahead to make any return, the president shall take opportunity lying in the subsection 5 to approach a court to secure suspension of such decision until the determination of the matter.

"INEC not being a security agency that could by itself guarantee protection for personnel and electoral materials, as well as voters during elections, could even lay claim to abiding by the advice of the nation’s Security Chiefs whose appointments are highly lopsided for reasons like this to justify the postponement.”

Going further, the spokesman said Nigerians have seen how the DG, DSS, Mr. Matthew Seyifa, was removed and Yusuf Bichi from Kano was appointed in his place by the President due to expiration of years of service which was jettisoned by the same president to allow other service chiefs to continue in office even when their ages, years of service and constitutionally recognised tenures had variously expired.

“We are not surprised about the removal. In fact, we were expecting it because the sacked DG who had started reorganisation and reformation of the battered DSS will not play game; and you know aside the Nigerian Army, another vital institution holding ultimate power is the DSS. A virile DSS in the name of ‘national security’, can contain and cage the service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police if their actions are inimical to national security.”

Concluding, Oyeniyi assured Nigerians and key actors of democracy promotion locally and internationally, that his party, ANN, shall continue to make the difference by continuous mobilisation and intervention to rescue tired Nigerians from the grips of the ongoing tyranny, divisiveness and acute poverty.

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