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.

It was 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.”

It was also 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.

 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

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.

The Sun