Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Attahiru Jega yesterday met with President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the National Security Council before shifting the National Assembly elections in 15 Senatorial Districts and 48 constituencies of the House of Representatives, sources said.
It was also learnt that the elections were shifted in the affected areas because all vendors contacted indicated that they could only deliver ballot papers by afternoon today.
But Jega succeeded in convincing the Security Council on why voters should stay behind to monitor the final ballot process.
Jega briefed reporters on the poll shift in some states after hours of consultations with the Security Council.
A source said: "At the meeting, Jega explained in details the constraints faced by the commission, following the use of some ballot papers last Saturday and the arising shortfall.
"He also claimed that the obvious errors on some ballot papers, like omission of logos and duplication of names of parties, could attract post-election litigations, which may affect the nation’s electoral process. He pleaded that INEC be allowed to err on the side of caution than conducting elections that might be nullified and re-conducted.
"The INEC chairman later reeled out statistics of the districts and states that might be affected, insisting that over 85 per cent of the country would vote on Saturday."
Responding to questions from some members, Jega said: "Even in printing more ballot papers locally for the affected areas, all the vendors contacted said they cannot deliver earlier than Friday afternoon.
"Instead of taking risk again like we did last week, we decided to shift the poll in the affected areas till April 26. The probability of failing by vendors again was there and we opted to go ahead with the poll in districts and constituencies without challenges."
The Security Council members, however, asked questions on deployment of materials and the INEC chairman assured the session that over 90 per cent success had been achieved.
He, however, justified why Nigerians should be allowed to stay behind after voting.
The source added: "Jega told the meeting that the stay-behind-after voting plan is to ensure the transparency of the electoral process.
"Unlike the last Sunday session that was stormy, the Security Council reasoned with Jega’s plan and approved of the stay-behind-after- voting initiative."
The National Security Council met with Jega in exercise of its mandate in Section 25 of Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution
The section states that, the Council "shall have power to advise the President on matters relating to public security, including matters relating to any organisation or agency established by law for ensuring the security of the Federation." The Council comprises President (Chairman), Vice-President (Deputy Chairman), Chief of Defence Staff, Minister of Interior, Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Security Adviser, Inspector-General of Police and "such other persons as the President may in his discretion appoint".
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