Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu is among international observers in Nigerian General Election which was scheduled to kick off on Saturday, February 16. However, Ngilu who had arrived at a polling station, was caught off guard by the last minute cancellation of the exercise by the electoral commission just five hours to opening of the polls at 6 am.
The governor expressed her shock at how the populous west African nation trivializes an important occasion as election of the president thus raising eyebrows.
“Ready at 6 am for our observer mission but alas, the election was postponed at 2 am. Five hours to opening of the polling stations. Really sad for Nigeria and democracy in Africa,” she lamented. The electoral agency chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said they reached the decision to postpone for the public good premised on free and fair polls.
Reports indicated voting materials had not been delivered to all parts of the country. At least 77 candidates have declared interest but poll analysts say it will be a two-horse race between the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari and former vice president in Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime Atiku Abubakar. This is not the first time Nigeria has postponed an election, the country’s presidential elections in 2011 and 2015 were also delayed over logistics and security issues.
