By Cyril Aririguzo

 For  the  past  3  months  now,  we  have  waited  patiently  for  the  Independent  National  Electoral  Commission (INEC) to announce a new date for the Okigwe Senate re‐run election that was botched  on the grounds of alleged security threat and nothing seem to be coming after that pronouncement. 

 Although  INEC  has  in  a recent statement  issued  and signed  by  the  Director,  Voter  Education  and  Publicity,  Oluwole  Osaze‐Uzzi,  reiterated  commitment  to  concluding  the  suspended  elections  in  Rivers, Imo, Kogi and Kano States which were disrupted by violence not later than July 31, 2016. 
With the  new  development,  and  having  known that the  political  dust raised  by the  postponement  may not have settled down  completely, due to the stated factors which many in Imo state are not  happy about, many have expressed displeasure and disappointment over INEC inability to handle the 
matter well without compromising with any political party. 

 The conflicting position of INEC already is  creating apprehension in the state, which has given INEC a bad image, while many are alleging that  INEC  is  siding  the  All  Progressive  Congress  (APC).  A  lot  of  people  today  are  angry  with  INEC  for  faltering in the election and never thought it appropriate to address the anomalies meted on Okigwe  people when they abruptly postponed the said election on flimsy ground. To some, the excuse given  for the postponement is not tenable or said to be genuine to warrant such action. Many issues have 
been identified as principally responsible for the action of the electoral body. As keen observers, the  attention  of  INEC  as  the  electoral  umpire  has  to  be  drawn  on  the  needful  to  rise  up  to  their  constitutional  duty  and  conclude the  election  as  promised  on  or  before the  31st July  2016 without  further postponement, fear or favour. By so doing, the doubts, displeasures and disappointments of  people with  INEC over the rate of  inconclusive  elections  nationwide, will  continue to raise  a  lot of  questions  and  concern  on  the  capacity  of  the  new  leadership  in  delivering  credible  free  and  fair 
election come 2019

 On the other hand it is obviously clear that the PDP as a party has not taken the issue seriously with  INEC, but rather  is seen to be quiet which suggests  it has been  caged by an unexplainable political  manipulation or has been submerged in an internal wrangling and conspiracies of sorts in which INEC  and the APC  are  allegedly  collaborating, to  leverage  on the  power  game struggle.

  Majority  of  PDP  loyalists are not particularly happy with the PDP leadership over their lukewarm attitude and for not  speaking out on the  issue even when the  leadership of  Senate ordered INEC to  conclude all re‐run 
elections nationwide, when the INEC Chairman was summoned at the red chambers. The PDP in Imo  State with their intimidating number and arrays of technocrats, legal bigwigs and a favoured political  atmosphere are still not utilizing their capacity well to ensure they are not taken for a ride again. PDP 
must make INEC to understand that the new date must be sacrosanct and unchangeable too. 

 INEC by  now should have known that the best way to exonerate itself is to be resolute on the new date and  conduct a credible election. A careful study shows that the APC may temporally be having a field’s day with the situation in Imo.

But it is quite clear that you cannot use delay to win an election much more a re‐run. With the kind of  power game APC is playing, the much it can achieve is postponing the dooms’ day and nothing more. 

 From the power game, many may think APC is prosecuting its earlier threats of depleting PDP through  an undemocratic agenda. The right time to compel INEC to come to terms with its constitutional role  as umpire is now. Time is of essence and further postponement will not help anybody including APC. 

 INEC a the principal organizer of the electoral process in Nigeria should live up to the expectation of  Nigerians who already detest the situation in Imo. INEC must remain unbiased, responsive and must  be seen to be in‐charge, not allowing any group, in whatever disguise, to derail its program this time 
around. INEC should not fail in conducting a free and fair election.

 People in Okigwe senatorial zone want to express their civic right and choose who leads them. They  want a free and fair election to elect a person with the passion to serve them and not the imposition  of  candidates  through  rigging  and  manipulation. 

  It  is  all  about  struggle  for  power  between  two  dominant parties, the PDP and APC. It is therefore  in  the  overall  national  interest  that  the  leaders  of  PDP,  traditional  rulers  and  civil society  groups  should wake up and task INEC to live up to its role in conducting the re‐run election on or before the 
31st of July as promised.