Some stakeholders in the educational sector on Saturday decried the re-scheduling of the Presidential and National Assembly elections to Feb. 23 as well as the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections to March 9.
The stakeholders told the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Lagos that the re-scheduling would adversely affect the schools’ academic calendar.
Mr Olayinka Aderoju, the Vice-Principal, Nigeria Tulip International College (NTIC) located in Ogun, said that most schools would not be able to cover their syllabi following the postponement of the elections by one week.
Aderoju said that any school that attempts such , would be putting undue pressures on its students .
“The postponement of the election will have some adverse effects on the academic calendar and for this,schools may not afford to go for any break again next week as earlier planned .
“ We have to make some adjustments and where we have to cover about 100 per cent ,we have to make some adjustments to cover about 85 per cent ,” he said.
Aderoju, however, noted that while there was no perfect election , the sudden postponement , would heighten mutual suspicions from several angles .
He said since INEC had cited some infractions , our concern should be that the umpire was not biased.
He said that whoever wins or loses after the elections would have been conducted would know that the umpire was upright.
He said that it was not a new thing globally for elections to be planned and postponed and so all that matters would be for INEC to plan very well now ,so that all other things could be settled.
Also, Dr Tony Dansu , Secretary , Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) , Lagos State University (LASU) Chapter, told NAN that the academic community had been the most affected by the postponement of the elections .
Dansu said that both the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions at the public and private sector levels must work toward adjusting their calendars in line with INEC’s new schedules.
He, however, noted that INEC deserved severe sanctions, as the postponement of the election was uncalled for.
“It will not have been this bad if the postponement is not as close as this. Many scheduled programmes of individuals and organisations are now affected.
“ It is sad and destabilising for many Nigerians. I wish some individuals and groups can approach the court to get a sanction against INEC, because they have years to prepare for this election,” he said.
A parent, Mr Jerry Olaniyan said students,especially those in the universities who have just recovered from the recently suspended ASUU strike which lasted three months, would be mostly affected by the postponement.
Olaniyan said the decision INEC took was disturbing and a wrong signal for Nigeria and Nigerians.
He noted that considering the quantum of what had gone into the preparations, it was absolutely an unpleasant situation for the nation to cope and manage.
“I can only pray that we get it right. For the majority of Nigerians, foreign observers, media and all respected stakeholders, the anxiety, feelings, interest and passion in these general elections have been lost.
“It may interest you that there may be great apathy coming Saturday when the election is rescheduled to hold,” he said .
