“We don make big plans already and I don even share wedding invitations card for 18 March and I no dey feel happy at all but as obidient citizens we must obey goment.”
Dat na Alhaji Shuaibu Idi Amin wey dey stay Kano state for northwest Nigeria, one of many Nigerians wey bin get dia own plans for 18 March 2023 bifor di di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) announce on Wednesday say dem don shift election to dat date.
As many pipo know, general elections for Nigeria apart from closing of land and air borders dey come wit 18 hours of restrictions.
Di no movement apart from voting mean say no any oda event fit happun on dat day.
Na why some pipo dey call general election weekends as di only weekends without weddings for Nigeria.
Alhaji Shuaibu also tell BBC News Pidgin say im family from Bauchi don also make plans to attend di anticipated wedding.
“Now I have to call dem to tell dem to hold on as we need a new date for di wedding.”
E tok say new date no be decision e go take alone as di groom family also need to involve.
“We go siddon with di groom to be family to discuss di mata and agree on new date for di wedding.”
Why INEC postpone govnorship election
Afta one court decision ova di machines wey Nigeria electoral body dey use count votes, Inec postpone elections for state govnors and local assemblies by one week.
According to wetin di commission tok, di move go allow more time for dem to reconfigure and deploy di so-called BVAS machines for di upcoming vote.
Di polls wey dem bin don schedule to take place on Saturday 11 March, go now hold on 18 March.
One court earlier on Wednesday reject di demand of opposition to stop di reconfiguring of BVAS so dia teams fit check for forensic evidence of ballot rigging claims.
Di opposition bin dey contest last month election victory wey President- elect Bola Tinubu win.
But Inec say dia legal challenge don delay preparations and di BVAS machines no go ready in time.
BVAS na di new voting device wey dey for cross-checking voters names for di Register of Voters.
E dey authenticate voters wit di use of dia fingerprints or facials.
Dem dey also use am upload polling results electronically.
Meanwhile, dis no be di first time di Independent National Electoral Commission go postpone elections for Nigeria but for different reasons.
Wetin di electoral law tok about election postponement
Di Electoral act of 2022 as amended for Nigeria give provision for conduct and postponement of election incase of emergency.
Section 24 say in di event of any emergency wey dey affect an election, di Commission shall, as far as practicable, make sure say di pesin wey dey displaced as a result of di emergency no dey disenfranchised.
If e dey impossible to conduct di election sake of natural disasters or oda emergencies, di Commission fit “postpone di election and shall in respect of di area, or areas concerned, appoint anoda date for di holding of di postponed election, provided say dat reason for di postponement dey cogent and verifiable”.
Di electoral act also give room say if e dey impossible to continue wit any election sake of threat to peace and security of electoral officials and materials, di Commission fit suspend di election and appoint anoda date for di continuation of di election or di process.
Meanwhile, wia di commission appoint anoda date in accordance wit subsections (2) and (3), dia shall be no return for di election until polling don take place for di area or areas wey dey affected.
