Chief Sunny Onuesoke, a former governorship aspirant, is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State.
In this interview, he accuses the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of conniving with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to postpone the general elections in order to avoid defeat .
Here are the excerpts:
What is your take on the sudden postponement of the 2019 general elections by INEC?
It is the height of irresponsibility on the part of INEC and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government. They are taking Nigerians for granted. In a saner clime, the INEC boss would have been sacked by now or the President would have resigned, having displayed such a high level of irresponsibility and abdication of responsibility. They had over 48 months to prepare for this election, only for them to call for postponement less than six hours to the kick-off time, citing logistic problems. They are being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians who have gone through stress to exercise their right only for them to wake up on election morning and be greeted by the coup of INEC in connivance with the ruling APC.
Elections were postponed in 2011, 2015 and now. Do you think this is becoming a pattern every Election cycle?
In 2015 the elections were postponed mainly because of the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents in the North- East. That made it practically impossible to conduct election in that part of the country then; hence there was a need to shift the elections. But today, the excuse given by INEC for the postponement is mischievous. They said for ‘logistics reasons’. Are you telling me that for over 48 months, INEC could not get adequate logistics in place? What a flimsy excuse to put Nigeria on this hard lane! It is obvious to me that there are lots of questions begging for answers with regards to the postponement of the election.
Who do you think should be blamed for this, INEC, FG or National Assembly?
The APC- led Federal Government in connivance with INEC should be blamed for this coup against Nigerians. The APC having realised that the elections are tilted towards the PDP and seeing that Nigerians have rejected them, with an imminent defeat at the polls before their very face, they opted to execute a coup Against Nigeria less than six hours to being kicked out of Aso rock. They saw the writings on the wall that no matter their attempt to rig the election, Nigerians have resolved in their mind to kick out this failed and dysfunctional government.
INEC is actually acting the script of the failed ruling party. It is a desperation on their part to cling on to power since they realised that they have lost the election even before today. It was obvious to all that, no matter their rigging plan, Nigerians were very determined to send them packing; hence they opted to stage a back door exit by postponing the election so as to pave the way for them to perfect their rigging plans.
But be rest assured that they can’t escape from the onslaught against bad governance which has been the hallmark of the ruling APC. If they like, they should carry the elections to the moon, they will certainly meet defeat.
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