INEC Postpone Election to March 28

Category: Nigerian National News



INEC has postponed the Nigeria February 14 presidential election by six weeks to March 28 due to security concerns, the chairman of the electoral commission told a press conference late on Saturday.



The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, after several hours of meeting with 25 civil society groups in Abuja Saturday, confirmed the decision of INEC, saying, all security agencies in the country have indicated to him, in writing, that they are not available to support the elections planned for February 14 and 28.

Jega, earlier held meeting with political parties, and another meeting with INEC's 36 resident electoral commissioners now on what will amount to an INEC position on whether to postpone or go ahead with the elections. 

Jibrin Ibrahim, a leading African election expert and senior fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, in Abuja, who was at the meeting, told Premium Times that, Jega told the meeting that security operatives from all the agencies told INEC that they were commencing a six weeks special operations against Boko Haram insurgents in the north eastern corridors of the country and would rather not be distracted by the elections. 



The INEC chairman also announced that the security forces informed INEC that operations are due to commence on February 14, the date INEC had planned for the presidential and federal legislative elections. Hence INEC’s hitherto insistence to go ahead with the elections is a risky venture. He said, to even collect ballot papers from their storage in the Central Bank of Nigeria for the elections will require security escort, which apparently is not available in the light of the move by the security forces.

Related Posts via Categories:

No comments

Powered by Blogger.