Iwuanyawu urges INEC to postpone February elections

The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT ), Labour Party, Mr Dan Iwuanyawu, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone forthcoming general elections to enable eligible voters to collect Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Iwuanyawu, who made the call while exchanging views with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, said that the postponement was necessary in view of the fact that only 38 million voters, out of 68 million registered by INEC, had collected the PVC.

He said that there only few weeks to the general elections, adding that he was speaking as a Nigerian and a voter ‘’that we cannot go ahead with the process as plotted by INEC’’.

``It is not correct that 75 per cent of eligible voters has collected the PVCs. INEC must shift the election from February 14 to March or early April.

‘’It will not disturb anything; it is still within the law, because the law provides that elections should be held not earlier than 90 days to the expiration of tenure or not later than 30 days to expiration of tenure,’’ he said.

Iwuanyawu maintained that INEC and Nigerians would not lose anything if the elections were postponed, saying that it would afford many Nigerians the opportunity to collect their PVCs and exercise their franchise.

On the consequence of National Assembly's idea that voters should use temporary voter’s card, he said that it that was allowed, the number of Nigerians that would vote would outnumber the population of Nigerians.

He also advised spiritual leaders to watch and be mindful of their messages on political matters.

On the nation’s economy, he said that the style being adopted by the Federal Government was not the best for the country, adding that any economy that failed to create jobs and development was not good enough.

He urged Nigerians to vote for credible leaders that would promote peace needed for the growth of the economy.