Lagos: Nigeria`s election body was harshly
criticised on Sunday after parliamentary polls were postponed
hours after they were to begin amid organisational chaos,
raising fears over the April 9 presidential vote.
The parliamentary vote will now be held on Monday, and
many questioned what effect the postponement would have on
turnout, as well as what will happen to ballots that were cast
yesterday before the polls were called off.
There were also the inevitable suggestions of sabotage
in a country long held back by corruption and with a history
of deeply flawed and violent polls.
"It is a national embarrassment, which cast a shadow
on the entire general election," ThisDay newspaper wrote in an
editorial.
A front page editorial in the widely read Punch
newspaper called the postponement "shocking and embarrassing"
and said the delay to tomorrow would not leave enough time to
resolve logistical problems.
Parliamentary elections yesterday were to be the first
of three landmark polls this month seen as a critical test of
whether Nigeria can organise a credible ballot after a history
of vote fraud and violence.
Presidential elections are due to follow the
parliamentary ballot on April 9, while governorship and state
assembly polls are due on April 16 in Africa`s largest oil
producer.
A recently installed electoral commission headed by a
respected academic had raised hopes that the vote would be
better conducted this time. President Goodluck Jonathan has
repeatedly promised a free and fair election.
But it became clear yesterday that there were major
problems with the organisation of the ballot, with large
numbers of polling places without materials and personnel.
The head of the electoral commission, Attahiru Jega,
went on live television at around midday to announce he was
pulling the plug, appearing solemn and deeply apologetic as he
called the situation an "emergency."
He said a vendor had not delivered materials on time
as promised, and the company had blamed air transport problems
due in part to the emergency in Japan.
The announcement sparked anger as it filtered
throughout the country and to polling places, where many had
waited for hours under a harsh sun. Even the polling place
where the president was to cast his ballot did not have the
proper materials and personnel.
PTI
