By 10 IMPLICATIONS OF ELECTION POSTPONEMENT
The postponement of the 2019 general elections and the announcement of a new date by the electoral umpire; Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC may have taken shape but the aftermath remains a fact to deal with.
In this special report, BlackBox Nigeria gathered that the singular decision by INEC will have a ripple effect on the nation’s well-being especially as regards the possible economic effect.
Below are ten (10) implications we believe shifting the election to a later date might have:
- Voter Apathy on the New date:
The announcement of the new dates may dampen the interest of Nigerians in coming out en-masse to vote on the new dates, this is especially because most Nigerians seem to have lost interest in the politics of the day following the sudden shift.
2. More holidays for students and its effect on parents’ pocket:
This portends more holidays for students especially those in boarding houses who had to travel far to be under the close watch of their parents. With the postponement, it means they have to travel thrice. This will also disrupt the school curriculum nationwide.
3. Cost on IGR:
INEC’s budget for the election year is roughly 189 billion Naira. It is safe to say that a large chunk of that budget that has already been expended on logistics in preparation for elections on February 16 has gone to waste, never to be recouped.
INEC will also need to make adjustments to already incurred costs, almost doubling costs.
4. NYSC and Adhoc:
This means INEC has to extend its contracts or other commitment with NYSC which portends more cost for INEC and even pose more dangers to members of the ad hoc staff. With pictures of the inhumane treatment on these ad hoc still, one will only wonder if the postponement is an extension to the ordeals of these ones.
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5. International observers, Senegal election is on the 24th:
This postponement may lead to the diversion of international observers’ attention at the international scene as Nigeria’s election will now be a day before that of Senegal’s. Nigeria’s election would have gathered more credibility if it went on as planned.
6. Scare Investors:
The postponement of the elections will further keep investors away from the Nigerian market as fear and uncertainty about the country’s economic and political direction linger. This will also discourage investment and bring adverse effect to the nation’s stock market.
7. Cost of living:
Individual spending has increased in the last two days. Many have gone to filling stations and supermarkets to stock up for the election weekend, while some have travelled out of their places of residence to their constituencies where they are registered to vote.
Journalists, international correspondents, and election observers have spent thousands of dollars travelling to and around Nigeria to cover the elections and observe polling activities.
8. Affect Companies finances:
Some companies have tied their spending and 2019 strategies around the Saturday, February 16 and March 2, 2019, initial election dates, spending millions of Naira. Adjusting to the new dates will not only affect company finances, but it will have some effects on employee morale going into the new week, further harming the companies’ productivity levels.
Last week, Nigeria fully recovered from its worst economic recession as the GDP growth recorded a remarkable 1.93% in 2018, thanks to the activities and spending of private organisations. It will be important to note how these activities will be impacted in the coming weeks.
9. Event cancellation
Every Saturday, hundreds, maybe thousands, of people get married across the country. Those who might have scheduled their weddings for the week after the elections will now have to reschedule them, bearing unforeseen costs that might greatly affect their finances in the process.
10. Waste of national resources
Monies that ought to be used for more productive ventures, will now be channeled to offsetting logistics needed to cater for the sudden postponement and see to a successful polls come February 23rd.
