By Ahmed Abubakar
It was confusion at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when a civil society group, the Nigerian Hopes Alive Project yesterday held the electoral umpire siege for nearly four hours.
Their grouse is to press on (INEC) for the extension of both the Presidential and National Assembly election slated for February 14 for 60 days.
They also demanded that the Governorship and State House of Assembly election slated for February 28 be extended by two months.
The unrest by the civil society group whom have forcefully prevented people the entry into the Zambezi crescent were other parastatals including INEC were located.
Apart from INEC that was the primary target of the group, also affected were the TETFUND, WAEC, Veterinary Council and the National Medical Council which suffered the same fate as being shut-out of their offices by the protesting civil society group.
They were chatting slogans like ” Why Nigerians want a 60 day extension”, INEC has not produced all the PVCs, Those produced have not been adequately distributed, “Section 135 (3) of the 1999 constitution allows for the extension” and “Please support this call to save our nation from imminent disaster”
Speaking to newsmen, the coordinator of the Nigeria Hope Alive Project, Mrs. Ifeanyinwa Nwagbo said that the extension of the next month general election would be the most necessary thing to do as it would help reduce violence on the election day.
She said, “Imagine that INEC in the last eight month commenced the distribution of the permanent voter cards and within that eight months has only succeeded in distributing 38 million cards out of the 68 million eligible voters.
“What magic would INEC do to distribute 30 million PVCs within between now and the presidential election?”
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