Plot thickens to postpone elections

With less than one month to the general elections scheduled
for February 14 and 28, there are indications that the Federal
Government may announce a postponement of the polls.
The elections may be shifted by six to eight weeks, to now
hold in April. The last general elections held in April 2011.
Daily Sun gathered that the elections might be postponed, as
the military plans a massive onslaught against Boko Haram in
the next couple of weeks. It was gathered that the National
Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki, Wednesday night met
with service chiefs, inspector general of police, director general
of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Professor
Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC).
Sources close to the INEC chairman revealed that the meeting
was to find out from Jega the possibility of postponing the
elections till April.
Feelers from the meeting revealed that the service chiefs
hinted that a huge operation against Boko Haram was being
planned, aimed at dealing the insurgents a final, fatal blow.
“The service chiefs reported that they had agreed that there
must be a major offensive against Boko Haram, in
collaboration with Chad, to end insurgency once and for all.
This will entail the shift of the elections,” a source revealed.
To postpone the elections, Daily Sun gathered that the Federal
Government would rely on the constitutional provision that
polls could be shifted during a period of war or emergency.
Section 135 of the 1999 Constitution as amended states: “If
the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is
physically involved and the President considers that it is not
practicable to hold elections, the National Assembly may, by
resolution, extend the period of four years mentioned in sub-
section (2) of this section from time to time; but no such
extension shall exceed a period of six months at any one
time.”
Daily Sun gathered that Jega was not happy with the
suggestion for elections to be shifted, but told the security
meeting that he would consult with stakeholders.
The INEC chairman had told the meeting that since
arrangements had been concluded on how Internally Displaced
People (IDP) would vote, there was no point shifting the polls.
Dasuki had jetted out of the country to the United Kingdom
after the meeting with service chiefs, where he hinted that he
had suggested that elections be postponed to enable INEC
conclude preparation. Daily Sun gathered that Dasuki’s
pronouncement in London shocked officials of INEC, who felt
that he should have waited for the outcome of Jega’s
consultation before making comments. When contacted on the
possibility of shifting the elections, Mr. Kayode Idowu, Chief
Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, told Daily Sun: “There
has been no official communication to that effect.” It was
gathered that the postponement of the elections could lead to
the setting up of an interim government in the country. For
some time now, the possibility of having an interim
government had generated a lot of controversy.
Pastor Tunde Bakare, leader of the Latter Rain Assembly and
Convener of the Save Nigeria Group, had first called for interim
government, saying it may be the solution to the political
crisis that might erupt in the country over the elections.
Speaking before President Jonathan formally joined the 2015
presidential race, Bakare said the dilemma of whether the
president should contest or not was a major issue the nation
would grapple with this year. He hinged his fears on threats
by those who do not want Jonathan to contest and that of
his kinsmen in the Niger Delta, who have threatened to blow
up oil installations in the region if he does not return to
power. At a Sunday church service in Lagos, while preaching
on the topic: High Profile Scandals (Part 2), subtitled:
Conspicuous Consumption, the pastor said there was need for
an interim government.
Also suggesting an interim government, former presidential
candidate, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, said it was the only way to
address some fundamental issues in the country.
Braithwaite had stated, at a press conference organised by Mr.
Toni Iwobi, an Italian Nigerian and leading member of Legal
North Party in Italy, in Abuja, that to conduct a campaign that
ignores fundamental changes and talk about change or
transformation merely on the basis of change of personnel,
was a disservice to Nigerians. “It is for this reason that I have
advocated for an interim government rather than these
uncertain elections, which those with deep thinking already
see as a failure in the making despite assurances from INEC,”
he said. The politicians advised that merely angling for a
change to Buhari or any other person will not change the
fundamental problem of the country, adding that “our
economic projects and policies will continue to underperform
unless there is structural change in our fiscal federalism.”
Postpone polls for 3 months –NSA Dasuki
…No, we won’t–INEC
By EMMA EMEOZOR
Controversy has started trailing the February 14 date for the
presidential election as key stakeholders disagree over delay
of the exercise.
Speaking in London yesterday, the National Security Adviser,
Sambo Dasuki, called for the postponement of the elections to
allow more time for the distribution of the Permanent Voters
Cards (PVCs).
Dasuki, who appeared before a British audience at the London
think-tank, Chatham House, disclosed that he had met with
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and
advised that it would be sensible to postpone the poll within
the three months it had to legally take place.
“It costs you nothing, it’s still within the law,” Dasuki said he
had told the INEC chairman, Prof. Atahiru Jega. AFP reported
that Dasuki told Chatham House that a postponement would
be “safer for all of us.”
Reacting to Dasuki’s call for polls delay, INEC spokesman,
Kayode Idowu, told Reuters news agency that there were
currently no plans to delay the exercise. “It is not a
conversation of the commission at all. As far as we are
talking now, the date is what it is,” Mr Idowu said.
Renowned Lagos Lawyer, Fred Agbaje in his reaction described
the call for the postponement as a wishful thinking which
would do Nigeria no good.
He added: “The proposal is dangerously pregnant,
unconstitutional and runs contrary to all the logistices/money
so far spent on the election by INEC.
However, a group, The PR Nigeria, has stated that National
Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki only gave the
assurance that the February general elections would be
successful and violence-free.
The organisation stated that while speaking as a guest of the
Chatham House in London, Dasuki said: “The 2015 elections
are expected to be relatively peaceful and violence free. The
Federal Government has taken all necessary measures to
ensure this by making adequate provisions for INEC, security
agencies and by supporting numerous sensitisation
programs.”
He admitted that there were anxiety in certain quarters about
whether elections will hold in the North East and the ability of
the government to ensure that the Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) will be able to vote but affirmed in the
positive. “Our answer to both of those is yes. As far as is
possible, we are determined that adequate security will be in
place to enable elections in all the areas in the North East
that are safe, and that the IDP’s will be provided with the
opportunity to exercise their vote,” he explained.”
The NSA who said to have commended the emergence of a
strong opposition in the polity, saying it was a sign of the
growing maturity of the country’s democracy.