Elections Shifted To March 28, April 11? Why We Can’t Proceed With Elections
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 and 28.
Mr. Jega, who had an earlier meeting with political parties, is
rounding up another meeting with his 36 resident electoral 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 elections 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 federal legislative 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 of Nigeria for the elections will
require security escort, which apparently is now unavailable in the light of
the move by the security forces.
Via - Premium Times
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