STATEMENT ON THE TIMETABLE FOR 2015 GENERAL
ELECTIONS BY THE CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC),
PROFESSOR ATTAHIRU M. JEGA, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON FEBRUARY 07th, 2015
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Introduction
We invited you here today to make known the
position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the
timetable for the 2015 general elections. Let me state from the outset that the
Commission’s position was reached after carefully weighing the suggestions from
briefings held with different stakeholders in the electoral process.
The conduct of elections in a country like
Nigeria is invariably a collective venture that involves not just the Election
Management Body (EMB), but also a diverse range of stakeholders, notably
security agencies, political parties and their candidates, voters, as well as
interest groups, such as the civil society organizations and the media. To
guarantee successful conduct of elections, there are things that are wholly the
responsibility of the EMB. But there are other things critical for the success
of elections, which fall outside the control of the EMB.
In other words, while INEC must work hard to
perfect its systems and processes for conducting elections, and take
responsibility for any imperfections thereof, whatever the Commission does may
not by itself be sufficient to guarantee the success of elections. There are a
number of issues in the preparation and conduct of an election, the most
critical of which is security, which is not under the control of INEC.
Current State of INEC’s Preparedness
On Thursday, February 5, 2015, I was invited
to brief the National Council of State, which is the highest advisory to the
President comprising past and present leaders in Nigeria, on the level of
preparedness of INEC to conduct the 2015 general elections. I made a
presentation to the Council titled ‘Preparations for the 2015 General
Elections: Progress Report,’ in which I gave a detailed account of what the
Commission has been doing in readiness for the national elections (National
Assembly and Presidential) scheduled for February 14th, and the state elections
(Governorship and State Assembly) scheduled for February 28th, 2015.
The summary of my presentation to the National
Council of State meeting is that, for matters under its control, INEC is
substantially ready for the general elections as scheduled, despite discernible
challenges being encountered with some of its processes like the collection of
Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by registered members of the public.
In addition, INEC has been doing everything it
can to facilitate the collection of the PVCs by registered members of the
public. As at 5th February 2015, the total number of PVCs collected was 45,
829, 808, representing 66.58% of the total number of registered voters.
In the delivery and deployment of electoral
materials, INEC is also at a comfort level in its readiness for the general
elections as scheduled (see the presentation to the Council of State). The Commission’s
preparations are not yet perfect or fully accomplished. But our level of
preparedness, despite a few challenges, is sufficient to conduct free, fair and
credible elections as scheduled on February 14th and February 28th. Compared
with 2011 when, within a short time, we conducted general elections that were
universally adjudged free, fair and credible and the best in Nigeria’s recent
electoral history, our processes are today better refined, more robust and
therefore capable of delivering even better elections.
Other Variables
But as I mentioned earlier, there are some
other variables equally crucial for successful conduct of the 2015 general
elections that are outside the control of INEC. One important variable is
security for the elections.
While the Commission has a very good working
relationship with all security agencies, especially on the platform of the
Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) since its
inception in 2010, it has become pertinent for it to seriously consider the
security advisory presented to it by the Security and Intelligence Services. I
would like to reiterate here that INEC is an EMB and not a security agency. It
relies on the security services to provide a safe environment for personnel,
voters, election observers and election materials to conduct elections wherever
it deploys. Where the security services strongly advise otherwise, it would be
unconscionable of the Commission to deploy personnel and call voters out in
such a situation.
Last Wednesday, which was a day before the
Council of State meeting, the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA)
wrote a letter to the Commission, drawing attention to recent developments in
four Northeast states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe currently experiencing
the challenge of insurgency. The letter stated that security could not be
guaranteed during the proposed period in February for the general elections.
This advisory was reinforced at the Council of
State meeting on Thursday where the NSA and all the Armed Services and
Intelligence Chiefs unanimously reiterated that the safety and security of our
operations cannot be guaranteed, and that the Security Services needed at least
six weeks within which to conclude a major military operation against the insurgency
in the Northeast; and that during this operation, the military will be
concentrating its attention in the theatre of operations such that they may not
be able to provide the traditional support they render to the Police and other
agencies during elections.
INEC’s Decision
We have done wide ranging consultation to
enable us have as much input as is necessary before taking an informed
decision. In the series of consultations that we held with stakeholders, the
questions consistently posed to them for consideration are:
In view of the latest development, should INEC
proceed with the conduct of the general elections as scheduled in spite of this
strong advice; and if so, what alternative security arrangements are available
to be put in place? Or, should INEC take the advice and adjust the schedules of
the general elections within the framework of Constitutional provisions?
The Commission held a meeting after the
consultations, and decided to take the advice of the Security Chiefs and adjust
the dates of the elections. We have done this relying on Section 26(1) of the
Electoral 2010 (As Amended), which states thus: “Where a date has been
appointed for the holding of an election, and there is reason to believe that a
serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded
with on that date or it is impossible to conduct the elections as a result of
natural disasters or other emergencies, the Commission may postpone the
election and shall in respect of the area, or areas concerned, appoint another
date for the holding of the postponed election, provided that such reason for
the postponement is cogent and verifiable”.
INEC not being a security agency that could by
itself guarantee protection for personnel and materials, as well as voters
during elections, the Commission cannot lightly wave off the advice by the
nation’s Security Chiefs. The Commission is specifically concerned about the
security of our ad hoc staff who constitute at least 600,000 young men and
women, together with our regular staff, voters, election observers as well as
election materials painstakingly acquired over the last one and half years.
This concern is limited not just to the areas in the North-eastern part of
Nigeria experiencing insurgency; the risk of deploying young men and women and calling
people to exercise their democratic rights in a situation where their security
cannot be guaranteed is a most onerous responsibility. Under such
circumstances, few EMBs across the world, if any, would contemplate proceeding
with the elections as scheduled. No matter the extent of INEC’s preparedness,
therefore, if the security of personnel, voters, election observers and
election materials cannot be guaranteed, the life of innocent young men and
women as well the prospects of free, fair, credible and peaceful elections
would be greatly jeopardised.
Consequently, the Commission has decided to
reschedule the 2015 general elections thus: the national elections (i.e.
Presidential and National Assembly) are now to hold on March 28th, 2015; while
the state elections (Governorship and State Assembly) are to hold on April
11th, 2015. It should be noted that this rescheduling falls within the
constitutional framework for the conduct of the elections, notably, Sections
76(2), 116(2), 132(2) and 178(2). See also Section 25 of the Electoral Act 2010
(As Amended).
For the avoidance of doubt, we will under no
circumstances approve an arrangement that is not in line with the provisions of
our laws. Our hope is that with this rescheduling, the security services will do
their best to ensure that the security environment needed for safe and peaceful
conduct of the 2015 elections is rapidly put in place.
We in INEC reassure all Nigerians and indeed
the international community of our commitment to do everything within the law
and to conduct free, fair, credible and peaceful elections. We call on the
security agencies to honour their commitment to restore sufficient normalcy for
elections to take place within the period of extension. We also call on
Nigerians, political parties, candidates and all other stakeholders to accept
this decision in good faith and ensure the maintenance of peace.
As for us in INEC we’ll endeavour to use the
period of the extension to keep on perfecting our systems and processes for
conducting the best elections in Nigeria’s history. In particular, we believe
that we would resolve all outstanding issues related to non-collection of PVCs,
which agitate the minds of many Nigerians.
Finally, we wish to call on all Nigerians to
accept our decision, which is taken in good faith and the best interest of
deepening democracy ion our country.
Thank you.
Professor Attahiru M. Jega, OFR
Chairman, INEC
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