The report states that INEC chairman, Prof. Atahiru Jega, acknowledged the receipt of the letter on Wednesday at the Council of State meeting.
While briefing the Council of State meeting on the preparedness of the commission towards the Elections, Jega was quoted as saying: “I am sure this August body will be appraised of the security situation for the elections by the responsible authority.
“Yesterday, for example, we received a letter from the Office of the National Security Adviser informing us of recent developments in four of the North-east states, stating that safety and security cannot be guaranteed during the proposed election period, adducing reasons why this is so, and strongly advising that INEC considers rescheduling the elections by at least six weeks within the provisions of the electoral legal framework, and within which time span, it is hoped to restore sufficient normalcy for elections to hold.
“This is a new development that INEC cannot certainly ignore or take lightly.
“I thank you for the opportunity to provide this briefing.”
After his presentation, the report, carried by THISDAY, said members of the council voiced their concerns for or against the postponement of the election.
President Goodluck Jonathan, a presidency source was quoted as saying, impressed it on those present that it would be necessary to shift the dates for the elections in order to guaranty the safety of voters, electoral officials and even security personnel in the North-east.
He was said to have expressed concern that if a vital section of the country was left out of the elections, the legitimacy of the candidate(s) who emerge victorious could be challenged on the grounds that millions of voters could not exercise their franchise during the elections.
This position of the president was reported to have been backed by the Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu, who spoke after the president, and other governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
However, governors of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who had met the night before to arrive at a common position to press ahead with the polls, insisted that the elections should go ahead as planned alongside the presidential candidate of the APC, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari.
They argued that heightened insecurity in about 14 Boko Haram-occupied local government areas out of 774 in the country should not stop the elections from going ahead as scheduled.
In their contributions, ex-military heads of state, Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, alongside a former Chief Justice of the Nigeria (CJN), Justice Moddibo Alfa Belgore, acknowledged that the fears over security concerns in the North-east could not be ignored, but advised Jega to proceed with the elections as scheduled in other states of the federation.
Belgore’s predecessor, Justice Muhammad Uwais, however, kept quiet throughout the deliberations.
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PDP and GEJ has come out to tell the world that they have failed Nigeria and Nigerians.
ReplyDeleteIf there was insecurity at the 14 LGA and election were held in Ekiti and Osun, why not elections in other remaining state.
Other wise the governorship election should hold while that of the president should be postponed.
Shame on PDP,they have failed the electionns must hold Feb 14th,nigerians pls lets vote out president Jonathan and pdp
ReplyDeleteSo, election should be postponed because of 14 local government, are you silly. You fake security adviser, last time I checked we have over 700 local government. This people should stop rubbishing us. Haba. Jega should leave out the volatile areas if they refuse to provide security. It is part of the gimmick to postpone. I still have little trust in Jega.
ReplyDelete