Mixed Reactions Trail Postponement Of 2023 Governorship Elections

Nigerians have expressed their views regarding the rescheduling of the upcoming governorship elections across the country.

Naija News reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced in a statement on Wednesday night that the elections would not hold on March 11th as earlier scheduled.

According to the electoral umpire, the gubernatorial elections would now take place on the 18th of March, 2023 following the court ruling on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

INEC also disclosed that governorship campaigns would continue until midnight Thursday, 16th March 2023.

Following the development, some netizens took to social media to commend the electoral body for postponing the gubernatorial and state assembly elections, while others berated the Commission for not being reliable and transparent.

See some of the reactions below.

@Ellacious_berry wrote: “What a country after 62 years we can’t run ordinary election giant of Africa Indeed. 301 billion naira for this level of unpreparedness should be a criminal offence!! Shame on you INEC.”

@alhassan_ai wrote: “Thank you INEC for staying steadfast to fair and transparent elections. Thank you professor Mahmud Yakubu. Indeed this is the fairest election in the history of Nigeria.”

@ladkings wrote: “4 years, 300b naira you couldn’t conduct a simple election….print papers, have voters’ thumbprint on them, and count, what a rocket science.”

@SalimToro2 wrote: “Thank you INEC for always working tirelessly to ensure that the gubernatorial and state assembly election is free and fair like the presidential election. May Almighty Allah bless you and reward you abundantly.”

@SeerVoice wrote: “So had it been that INEC was not granted an order to reconfigure BVAS, governorship election would have been postponed indefinitely?”

@moore2life wrote: “INEC is very dishonest. Check iRev for Amuwo Odofin LGA in Lagos, for example, Senate results are uploaded in place of Presidential results for many polling units. Is that the data you want to back up? Big shame.”

@ishagoro wrote: “So you people can postpone but were in a rush to announce the winner of an election even when there uproar of irregularities and malpractice.”

@MaziNnamdiOnu wrote: “The same way you assured us that BVAS would transmit election results directly from Polling units. You have failed us and have come again to make another promise abi assurance. Abegi.”

@cuugwueze wrote: “What stops INEC from using Blockchain technology in conducting elections in Nigeria? It’s cheaper and more transparent. It’s decentralized. Fewer ad-hoc staff will be needed, which will minimize rigging and compromise.”

@reachabi wrote: “If you had allowed the inspection of election materials earlier; instead of resisting, would the inspection not be over by now so that you can conduct the governorship election this Saturday. INEC & CONFUSION.”