The national chaurman, All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, just released a press statement on the poll shift announcement: "The APC has just heard over the news media that The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has decided to postpone the elections by six weeks on the strength of a letter by the security chiefs that they cannot provide security for the elections nationwide because of the commitment of its resources to fight insurgency in the north eastern part of the country."
Odigie-Oyegun said "this is clearly a major setback for Nigerian democracy, and our Party is meeting in emergency session to study its implications and will inform Nigerians of its decisions in the next few days."
"In the meantime, though what has happened is highly provocative, I strongly appeal to all Nigerians to remain calm and desist from violence and any activity which will compound this unfortunate development. We must not fall into this obvious trap. Change we must. They can only delay it; No one can stop it.
I want to assure all Nigerians that the All Progressives Congress will not abandon its commitment to change and will sustain the struggle to establish a new Nigeria."
But, the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) welcomes the decision. Adamu Mua'zu, its national chairman, hails the decision and affirms his party's readiness to abide by the electoral agency's decision in a tweet sent minutes after the announcement of the poll shift.
