Following the postponement of the gubernatorial election from March 11 to March 18, many were forced to reschedule and cancel their plans as it became inconvenient. In this report, Daily Trust Saturday spoke to a few persons whose weddings were disrupted due to the postponement.
Some parents, brides and bridegrooms in Jos, the Plateau State capital, have said the postponement of the governorship and state assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disrupted plans for various weddings scheduled for March 18.
They said the development forced them to reschedule their marriages to other dates.
Daily Trust Saturday gathered that dates were fixed for a lot of weddings and other social activities considering the presidential, National Assembly and governorship and state assembly elections slated for February 25 and March 11, 2023 respectively. But unfortunately for the celebrants, the INEC postponed the governorship and state assembly elections to March 18, citing the reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Our correspondent reports that many families had earlier wanted to hold their weddings before the commencement of this year’s Ramadan fasting coming up in few days. The new date for the governorship and assembly elections has made some of them to reschedule their events.
It was gathered that the development is putting pressure on the affected parents and their children and costing them a lot in terms of money and time. While some have moved their dates forward, others moved theirs backwards.
The dilemma is the same in many parts of northern Nigeria.
Nurat Abdulhamid, whose marriage was scheduled to hold on March 18 said, “My wedding was supposed to hold on March 11 when I thought the governorship election would hold on the 4th. When I realised that it was 11th, we moved it to March 18. Unexpectedly, INEC postponed the election to the same day my wedding was rescheduled.
“I was confused when the news of the postponement broke out because all the necessary preparations have been made, coupled with the fact that I had earlier postponed the event. But there is nothing I can do, so we have decided to hold the wedding anytime in May,” she said.
Asked how she felt about the situation, Nurat said, “Actually I feel very bad because I have done all the arraignments, but this is how Allah wants it. I decided to move the marriage to another date in May because Ramadan fasting is around the corner. It won’t be fine to do it few days to Ramadan or within the period.”
Another bride-to-be, Rukayya Datti, whose wedding was postponed two times because of the elections said, “I feel bad because all arraignments had been made before realising that it was no longer possible. However, I have to thank Allah for what he has done. My friends, family and other relatives are not happy, but there is nothing we can do about it, so we have to accept it and be happy.”
Rukayya, whose wedding is now rescheduled to take place on March 21, three days after the elections, believes the event would not be postponed again. She said, “I am confident that my wedding will hold on the new date. By the special grace of Allah, nothing will happen again to warrant further change of date.”
Iskeel Yusuf Sulaiman, a groom-to-be whose wedding was postponed twice because of the elections said, “I am disappointed in the whole process. The government should consider people’s plight before making decisions. We were battling with the scarcity of naira when this postponement came, and we have done all the necessary arrangements.
“We had hoped that immediately after the governorship election earlier scheduled to hold on 11 March, everything would be okay and our wedding would take place the following week, but all of a sudden, INEC announced that the election was postponed. And a lot of weddings were to hold on March 18. We were affected in so many things. In fact, everybody is affected in one way or another. Our government should always think twice before taking decisions.”
Parents who were affected by the sudden postponement of the elections also shared their ordeal with Daily Trust Saturday.
Daitti Yusuf, father of a bride-to-be, told our correspondent that the postponement had cost him a lot as he had to pay extra money to do some things.
He said, “I can’t say I am not happy because everything is planned according to Allah’s will. I planned to marry out my daughter this weekend but we postponed it to March 21 because of the elections. It has not been easy for the family because we have spent a lot, thinking that we would hold the event as planned.
“We have printed cards and paid for souvenirs. In fact, we have paid for everything, not knowing that elections would now hold on the 18th. I have to print new cards and souvenirs to let people know that the wedding has been postponed. Honestly, it has cost me a lot, but there is nothing I can do because that is Allah’s wish,” Daitti said.
Rashida Datti, mother of a bride-to-be also said, “The wedding was earlier fixed for March 11 but later changed to 18th; and now, it is 21. We have made all the necessary arrangements, but right now, there is nothing we can do in the circumstance other than to bear with the situation because it was permitted to happen.”
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