Poll postponement: Jonathan’s men support Dasuki

Furious that national chairman of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega is not
lifting a finger to help the re-election bid of President
Goodluck Jonathan like some other heads of Federal
Government agencies, the electoral umpire has come under
intense attack from close associates of the president.
Specifically, the presidency has been discreetly pushing for the
postponement of the February polls in view of the continued
rise in public support for the opposition All Progressives
Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu
Buhari.
After weeks of intense campaign by proxy to mobilize support
for postponement of the polls, the presidency eventually gave
official backing to the widely condemned plot on Thursday
when President Jonathan’s National Security Adviser, Col.
Sambo Dasuki (retd) revealed at the London think-tank
Chatham House that he had actually asked Prof Jega to
consider shifting the election dates citing incomplete
distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as justification.
The NSA said he had told Jega that a postponement within
the three months allowed by the Electoral Act would be a
good idea, adding that INEC had distributed only 30 million
PVCs in 2014, with another 30 million left.
He said while INEC had assured him the distribution would be
completed for the February polls, he believed it would be more
meaningful to allow more time for a successful election.
“It costs you nothing, it’s still within the law”, Dasuki said he
had told the INEC chairman, according to Reuters reports. The
NSA, however, said it was for INEC to decide.
Saturday Sun gathered that the frequent attack on Jega by
President Jonathan’s kinsman and staunch supporter, Chief
Edwin Clark may not be unconnected to this same plot to
beat the former university don into line and get him to play
ball.
Just last weekend while playing host to some PDP campaign
groups, Chief Clark alleged that the INEC chairman was
making frantic efforts to ensure that the President Jonathan
who is the PDP presidential candidate, did not win next month
election.
The Ijaw leader further alleged that Professor Jega was
desperate to create 30,000 polling units with phantom voting
population “to ensure that Jonathan doesn’t come back.”
“It is disgraceful that Jega whom we thought was an upright
man has allowed ethnicity and religion to take control of him”,
he added.
It was gathered that faced with the unpalatable reality of a
tough election in about three weeks, several ministers and
heads of federal agencies, who had in 2011 rolled out personal
and public funds to support the ruling party’s campaign, have
instead opted to channel such resources to mobilize support
for a shift in the election time table.
In the same vein, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in
Lagos State, Chief Olabode George yesterday supported calls
for the postponement of the election by the National Security
Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki(retd). George, who spoke at a
press conference in his Ikoyi office, Lagos, said Nigeria needs
a breather, especially for the issues mentioned by the NSA to
be addressed.
George said: “The NSA sees things deeper than any of us. So,
many people have not got their PVCs in Lagos and they will
be disenfranchised. I have not collected mine. There are
logistic problems but calling for a postponement of the
election does not mean it will be conducted after May 29. The
NSA must ensure there is peace in the land. If we have a
breather, all well and good, this will give INEC time to
distribute the PVCs. I have no objection if it is done because
because of what the NSA said.” This is coming as former
Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro led
the Lagos Goodluck/Sambo Independent Campaign Group on
a road show yesterday to drum up support for the re-election
bid of President Goodluck Jonathan. The road show started
from Dopemu along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway through
major streets in Lagos West senatorial district.
It was a funfair as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members
and supporters danced through the streets, distributing
leaflets and canvassing support for the Jonathan/ Sambo
ticket. Addressing supporters, Obanikoro reiterated the need
for Nigerians to vote for President Jonathan in the February 14
presidential poll. He expressed dismay over the distribution of
PVCs in Lagos State, but said he does not support calls for
the postponement of the February polls. According to him:
“We are not impressed with INEC over the distribution of PVCs
which would make or mar this election. With about 43 per
cent collection rate, there is still a lot of work to be done
before the elections.
“We are, however, not in support of any postponement of this
election, rather we want INEC to put its house in order and
ensure enough eligible Nigerians are allowed to vote.”
Meanwhile, George, who is also a former Deputy National
Chairman of the PDP, said 2015 is a critical year in the history
of Nigeria, so the country must get it right. He said all the
NSA wants is to ensure that there is peace in the land,
pointing out that a postponement of the elections does not
mean it would hold after May 29. However, the PDP leader
appealed to Nigerians to eschew religious and ethnic bigotry,
stating that the peace of the country should be paramount at
this moment.
“My appeal now to all Nigerians is that we should eschew
ethnic and religious bigotry. Let us put Nigeria first, let us
come together in harmony and peaceful association. Let us all
promote merit instead of nepotism, let us all promote
observable knowledge instead of cronyism,” he said. “This is
our collective fight, this is our collective struggle, enough of
this charlatanism. Enough of this rampant fraud and lies.”
George, while stressing the need for a change in the
administration of Lagos State, in the next election, noted: “Our
nation is in good hands at the national level, but in our Lagos,
power must change hands”. Furthermore, he said: “We must
now embrace new vision and new leadership. Lagosians
should now search their conscience and stop and ponder
whether this APC government has made any meaningful
contributions to their lives in the last 16 years. Whatever
decision we make at the polls in February will have lasting
impact on the lives of all voters, including the next
generation.”
Also speaking on the same issue, former Transport minister
and PDP chieftain, Chief Ebenezer Babatope said only Jega
can resolve the controversy over the postponemnt. His words:
“It is now left for Jega to clear the air. Jega must come out
and tell the whole world what is happening.My advice to him
is that he should ensure that INEC conducts credible and free
elections without favour or bias for anybody, party or group.”
He however added: “As for me and my party, PDP, we are
prepared for the elections. INEC has told us that the election
will come up on February 14 and we are preparing for it. The
ball is now in INEC court, to tell us and, in fact, the whole
world the level of its preparations for the election. It is not for
us to tell INEC to postpone the polls so that INEC would not
have any reason or excuse to pass the buck to us. For us, we
hold the February 14 sacrosanct until INEC tells us
otherwise.”