Naira crisis: Don’t shift polls - Parties tell INEC

The recent alarm raised by the Independent National Electoral Commission over the challenges the new naira policy would pose to its mobilisation of workers and logistics has elicited fear from political parties that the 2023 general elections may be shifted.

In exclusive interviews with our correspondent on Wednesday, the major political parties, however, called on INEC to keep to its timetable of February 25 and March 11 for the elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Yahaya Bello, had on Wednesday, raised concern that the naira crisis might pose a challenge to the elections.

Bello spoke during the North-Central Stakeholders Round-table meeting on the 2023 general election organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocate.

His statement generated heated debate among top political parties, which rejected the idea of having the election schedule adjusted.

The Peoples Democratic Party, through its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the cash shortage was likely to affect planning for the polls but ruled out its potential to cause a postponement of the exercise.

“This has the tendency to affect planning and logistics, but postponement would not be logical for INEC because it is a critical government institution that has inexhaustible avenues for mobilising cash resources for an election,” Abdullahi said.

Similarly, the National Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Oye, said INEC would always find a way to get the funding required to deliver on its mandate.

“We don’t foresee that (the election postponement) happening. The elections will hold as scheduled. We are very confident of this. INEC is a government statutory commission. So, they can take care of themselves,” he said.

In the same vein, Yunusa Tanko of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council maintained that if INEC was serious about paying ad hoc workers for logistics and mobilisation, it ould use bank transfers, which can always be traced for accountability.

“I don’t think it should be a problem. It should be done in such a way that people can access the transfer. That, for me, is the most important thing. If it is a transfer you are doing, let it be traceable. I don’t think the new naira policy should stop the election; rather, it should make the election more credible. Of course, we know the liquid cash cannot be accounted for,” he said.

In his part, the Chief Spokesman, New Nigerian Peoples Party, Ladipo Johnson, called for restraint, saying the electoral body should seek an alternative to giving cash.

He said, “If the INEC feels that things cannot be done with cash, God knows what would happen. I think this call for restraint and understanding for those who are running things to seek alternatives to cash for their staff or ad hoc workers, if possible. It is something they should look at on a day-to-day basis. At the moment, I don’t think the poll should be shifted. But we hope things don’t degenerate to that level.”

Meanwhile, the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress through its Director of Media, Bala Ibrahim reiterated that it trusted INEC to do the right thing and said that it would be too hasty for anyone to call for a shift in the calendar for the exercise.

“The party has done everything possible and will do everything possible to meet INEC’s election requirements. The party would have loved a situation where everyone would be free and have access to their money. But be that as it may, we would not subscribe to an extension with a few days to the general elections. For me, there is no reason to call for an extension,” he noted.

Also, the National Chairman, Social Democratic Party, Shehu Gabam, asked the masses to hold the Federal Government responsible for doing little in finding solutions to the challenges occasioned by inadequate cash in the nation’s credit system.

He partly said, “It is the executive arm that has abdicated its own role to complement the role of INEC. INEC had a conversation with the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, about cash because there are areas that are unbankable. INEC must be given cash to operate. If you deny it access to the cash, even after crediting its account, how will it get access to the account and operate in areas that need cash for the election to be conducted?”