Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson has warned of a looming major constitutional crisis if the general elections fails to hold on Saturday as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Governor Dickson stated this when he addressed a press conference at the Government House, Yenagoa, on Monday.
The Governor pointed out that there was a need for stakeholders to work collectively to avert the crisis.
According to Dickson, President Muhammadu Buhari should immediately convene an expanded emergency meeting of the National Council of State.
“This postponement belittled our country. It doesn’t show us as a serious country. Unless all stakeholders drop the habit of name-calling and claiming to be rights, we are moving close to a major constitutional crisis.
“If anything should go wrong, we will have a full-blown crisis; crisis of succession at a time the Supreme Court is also undergoing crisis. We should not call for the removal of the INEC Chairman. If INEC is in crisis and the Supreme Court is crisis, I don’t know where we are headed.
“I call on President Muhammadu Buhari as the leader of the country to convene an emergency meeting of the National Council of states to enable service chiefs and the INEC brief stakeholders on their preparations”, he said.
He added that the meeting should involve the political party chairmen and the presidential candidates to examine the developing scenario, which may plunge the countrt into crisis.
” I believe that if we all sit down and know the circumstances, we should agree on a new date.
“I disagree with INEC’s unilateral announcement of Saturday as a new date. I do not believe that all the challenges that INEC has can be resolved within six days. A more sensible approach is needed. Our nation cannot afford another postponement”, he added.