A former Governor of Kaduna State and chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has warned that there would be massive protests should the Independent National Electoral Commission postpone the rescheduled elections.
Citing security concerns, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had announced a shift in dates for the general elections from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11 respectively.
Speaking shortly after a meeting of the National Executive Committee of his party, the Peoples Redemption Party on Saturday in Kaduna, Musa said elections could hold with or without the activities of the insurgents in the North-East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
The ex-governor, who is the national chairman of the de-registered PRP, therefore warned the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government not to further take Nigerians for “a ride” by postponing the rescheduled polls.
According to him, the six-week shift was enough sacrifice that Nigerians could afford, noting that any other shift would be an indication that the President Goodluck Jonathan government was not ready to leave office.
Musa added, “If election is shifted again, majority of Nigerians will oppose it. They will demonstrate against it. Nigerians will come out massively to oppose because another shift will not be in their interest. Another shift will mean that government wants to remain in power.
“If therefore a six-week delay is the sacrifice which Nigerians have to make to ensure that every registered voter is given an opportunity to exercise (or not to exercise) his constitutional right to vote, so be it.
“We will not tolerate another shift because we are not anybody’s slave, we are free people, and this country is free. This country belongs to all of us, it does not belong to a clique.
“Continuation of Boko Haram activities is not an excuse to shift election again because Boko Haram is occupying less than 14 per cent of Nigeria. We should conduct election in spite of the insurgency.
“But Nigerians cannot tolerate any more shifting of election dates”.