The Speaker of Osun State House of
Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam, has
warned the Independent National
Election Commission against
yielding to clamour for the
postponement of the date of the
general election from February
14th.
Salam gave the warning in Osogbo
on Tuesday evening at a program
organised by the Osun State
Correspondents’ Chapel of the
Nigerian Union of Journalists.
The Speaker said that postponing
the polls’ date could cause crisis in
the country because the majority of
the people would not trust the
Federal Government nor believe
the outcome of election result if it
was held at a later date.
Najeem also said a shift in date
would waste the huge fund
allocated for the conduct of the
elections and would also drain the
pockets of the contestants.
He said, ” We are saying no to the
postponement! Why will they
postpone the election? The INEC
has been preparing for the election
since the past four years and are we
going to ask them to postpone
this? What do you think will happen
to the N70 billion given to INEC for
the conduct of the elections?
” Nigerians can no longer wait for
this elections to hold. Shift in the
date will violate the electoral
guideline. Why are they clamouring
for shift on date? Is it because of
certain interest? The National
Security Adviser, Dasuki who first
said this did not say it in Nigeria, he
went outside the country to say it.”
The Speaker berated the President
for not speaking against numerous
calls from his loyalists to postpone
the elections.
According to him, the President’s
silence on the matter has
confirmed that his supporters are
saying his mind on this issue.
Canvassing for votes for the
Presidential candidate of the All
Progressives Congress, Maj.- Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari ( retd.), Salam
said that Buhari was far better than
President Goodluck Jonathan, who
he said had almost run the country
aground.
He said the President allowed
corruption to thrive under his
watch, saying this was the reason
the economy of the country had
been badly affected.
The Speaker said, ” We all know
that Gen. Buhari is against
corruption. This is why many
corrupt persons don’t want him to
come into power, they know that
he will put an end to their illegal
activities.
” He is a leader who will ensure
that the laws made are enforced
against the rich and the poor. He
should be supported by everybody
especially the masses who
constitute the largest percentage
of the population. He will make a
change.”
Salam, who is also seeking
reelection into the House of
Assembly called on the people of
the state to support the APC
candidates in all elections to effect
” holistic change for the better in
the country.”
The Senator representing Osun
West Senatorial District at the
Senate, Senator Hussein Mudasir,
who was part of the Speaker’s
entourage said he was ready to
support former Governor Isiaka
Adeleke, who emerged the
senatorial candidate of the APC in
his constituency.
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
