By Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo
Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Nojeem Sallam has said it was not enough to postpone the next week 's general elections because Permanent Voters Cards distribution was not 100 per cent efficient.
While fielding questions from journalists during the 'News point Programme' organised on Wednesday in Osogbo, Sallam said postponing the election would amount to "colossal waste of huge resources".
The lawmaker added that international communities were watching the developments in the country, warning that "it is dangerous to shift the poll at the middle of the game".
Among the dangers, the speaker noted was the breaching of the constitution stipulation that elections must hold at least between 30 days and 150 days to the handover date.
He said, "Almost N70 billion have been released for the election and its preparation had started a long time, so what is the fear of those that are calling for the postponement of elections? The proponents of poll shift are afraid of the increasing support the All Progressives Congress (APC) is enjoining across the federation adding that they are only looking for ways of truncating the current democracy.
"Excuses being advanced by the proponents of poll shift on the number of people yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) is so weak to waste the huge resources so far spent on the exercise. There is no way the nation can attain 100 percent of PVC collection adding that INEC and Nigerians are well prepared for the poll."
He described as a ruse, the peace pact signed by the presidential candidates of Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress, President Goodluck Jnathan and General Muhammadu Buharim
According to him, the PDP and its supporter have broken the accord, thus making it unrealisable.
Osun Speaker mentioned the explosion that rocked the APC's secretariat in Rivers State; the war threat by the ex-militants as some of the ways the accord was being thwarted.
"With the threats and attacks by PDP, does it mean Nigeria will seize to exist if Jonathan does not win the election?" he asked.
While noting that the state assembly under his watch passed 20 bills into law in the last three and half years, the speaker faulted claims by PDP leaders and Vice President, Namadi Sambo, that there was no reduction in the allocation of Osun state.
PDP leaders and Vice President Sambo had during a presidential campaign in Osogbo said FG was not responsible for paucity of funds in the state.
"There is no other thing they can use to campaign against the government of the state and that is why they resulted to lie," he added.
http://dailytimes.com.ng/article/it-dangerous-postpone-election-now-osun-speaker
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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