The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
has postponed the February 14 presidential and legislative elections by six
weeks.
Jega explain why Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) can’t proceed with election....
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission, Attahiru Jega, has concluded a briefing meeting with 25 civil
society groups in Abuja Saturday informing them that 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
Mr. Jega who had an earlier meeting with political
parties is rounding up another meeting with his 36 resident commissioners now
on what will amount to an INEC position on whether to postpone or go ahead with
the elections.
Insiders at the meeting said “its pretty much a done
deal at this point that the lections will be postponed” and many of the
attendees told PREMIUM TIMES they were shell-shocked and depressed at what they
characterize as “a clear case of political blackmail of the state against civil
society.”
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, said Mr. 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.
Mr. Jega 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 other federal elections.
This decision, by the security forces, successfully
renders INEC’s hitherto insistence to go ahead with the elections a risky
venture.
To even collect ballot papers from their storage in
the Central bank for the elections will still require security escort, which
apparently is now unavailable in the light of the move by the security forces.
Credit
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