Twenty one Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, of the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, have rejected a
proposal to postpone Nigeria’s general elections billed for February 14
and 28.
Following a vote conducted today by the INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega,
after he met with political parties and the civil society, 21 RECs said
the elections should continue as planned while 16 others voted in
support of a reschedule. The outcome of the vote came as Nigerians await INEC’s decision on whether the elections are moved or not.
Civil Society leaders said Prof. Jega had told them at their meeting that
the commission was under pressure to postpone the polls after all
security agencies, including the military and the police, warned that
they will only support polls held at least six weeks after the current
dates.
According to Jibrin Ibrahim, a senior fellow at the Centre for Democracy and
Development, CDD, in Abuja, who was at the meeting, disclosed that Prof. Jega informed
the meeting that security operatives told INEC that they were commencing
a six weeks special operations against Boko Haram insurgents in the
north eastern part of the country and would not want to be
distracted by the elections.
The INEC chairman announced that the security forces also said the operations
are due to commence on February 14, the date INEC had planned for the
presidential and federal legislative elections.
Although, 17 political parties out of 28 voted in support of an extension but the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, has rejected any plan
to postpone the election saying such calls are sponsored by President
Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling party to stave their imminent defeat at
the polls.
Is this in the interest of the electorate?
