The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has urged Nigerians who suffered losses or hardships because of the elections postponement to sue the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Mr Frank Tietie, the Executive Director of CASER, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) made the call on Sunday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
INEC had on Feb. 16, a few hours to the Presidential and National Assembly Election, announced new dates for the general elections in Nigeria.
According to Tietie, whether INEC postponed the elections in national interest or not, it is immaterial to Nigerians who suffered losses and untold hardships as a result of the poll shift.
He said such legal actions would to teach INEC and other institutions or agencies of government a lesson to be serious and not take citizens for granted.
“Furthermore, that INEC and the government have failed to give sufficient explanation with apology that is generally satisfactory is unacceptable.
“Therefore, this action of INEC must be visited with an unprecedented exemplary damages awarded by the courts against the commission and possibly the government, on account of the unnecessary hardships Nigerians had to go through before they could cast their votes.
“CASER urges Nigerians not to accept such dereliction of official state duty,” he stressed.
Tietie said that CASER, through its Strategic Public Interest Litigation Secretariat, would connect with potential litigants with competent spirited lawyers for the purpose of ensuring justice for citizens who suffered from the postponement. (NAN)