The National Council Of States has Directed INEC To Go Ahead With Elections. Council of state has decided to stick with 14 February as the date for its presidential election, Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha said, quashing concerns that the poll may be postponed.“No decision was taken to change the date. The date remains 14 February. [The] independent national electoral commission reassured us that they are prepared to conduct the election,” Okorocha told journalists.
The meeting which lasted for seven hours, was held at the Presidential Villa. A meeting insider who declined to be named said Jega briefed the council on the commission's preparations and security measures taken because of the Islamist insurgency in the north. The insider said the council was satisfied with arrangements on both counts. INEC has not commented on the date.
Sunni jihadist group Boko Haram has been waging a five-year insurgency, killing thousands and displacing close to 1.5 million people, to carve out an Islamic state in the northeast. INEC last month outlined red zones where no polling units could be set up. Internally displaced people will vote inside camps in Borno, the worst-hit state, while special centres will be set up in Yobe and Adamawa for voters stranded outside their constituencies.
Several APC senators said the four former Nigerian presidents at the meeting - Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ernest Shonekan and Shehu Shagari - opposed PDP calls for a delay.
"They (the PDP) were adamant they wanted to delay ... The former heads of state persuaded them in the end that they must not," said APC Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who did not attend. PDP officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
In an emailed statement, APC campaign media head Malam Garba Shehu said a delay would have caused a crisis and "made Nigeria the laughing stock of the civilised world". On Wednesday, INEC said it had distributed 44 million cards out of 68.8 million, with just 10 days to go. Eleven states out of 36, plus the federal capital territory, had distributed less than 60 percent of their cards. Lagos, the most populous state and an opposition stronghold, had handed out less than 40 percent.
However there was sharp disagreement between Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and his Ondo State counterpart, Olusegun Mimiko at a joint press briefing on the outcome of the Council of State meeting. While Okorocha told State House correspondents that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been advised by the council to perform its civic responsibility with regards to this month's elections, Mimiko who differed from Okorocha's statement, said INEC was advised by the council to embark on consultations with stakeholders and see if it is possible to go ahead with the election or not.
There had been tension in tbe polity following call from some quarters that the elections be postponed.
Thursday's meeting would have calmed the tension, if there was a particular position taken to put paid to speculations surrounding the February 14 feasibility of the elections. Mimiko said "Council of State in a meeting close to seven hours, essentially the state of preparedness of INEC was on the table. INEC had the benefit of input from council members and security chiefs and agencies.
"And based on the very exhaustive discussion and pieces of advice, INEC is constitutionally empowered with the basis of discussions, brief the nation and then the news will be communication to you." INEC to Consult. Asked if there was a shift in date, the Ondo State governor said "like I made it absolutely clear I am not INEC; INEC chief will appropriately brief you based on the meeting we just had. "INEC is going to consult widely with stakeholders and come up with a decision that they will brief the nation soon.
The council of state is made up of the two presidential candidates, governors and former state leaders and electoral commission chairman Attahiru Jega. The chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, will this Friday meet with the national electoral commissioners and with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday. The aim of the two meetings is to enable the INEC chairman to brief the national commissioners on the outcome of the National Council of States meeting and on Saturday hear the situation of things on ground from the Resident Electoral Commissioners before coming out with a clear position on the general elections.
The meeting with the Resident Commissioners will be for an on the spot accessment of the d?istribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). According to National Commissioner, "So far, only over 45 million PVCS have been distributed. So the meetings will assess everything before a final decision." It was gathered that there may be a stakeholders' meeting with political parties on Monday before a final decision is taken.
A report quotes a national commissioner as saying that the security agencies had written to disclose that the security situation in the country does not warrant holding the election as scheduled. On Wednesday, INEC said it had distributed 44m cards out of 68.8m, with just 10 days to go. Eleven states out of 36, plus the federal capital territory, had distributed less than 60% of their cards. Lagos, the most populous state and an opposition stronghold, had handed out less than 40%.
National Security Advisor Sambo Dasuki caused outrage when he called for a delay last month due to the slow distribution of voter ID cards necessary for accreditation at the polls. The incumbent Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling People’s Democratic party will face former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.
The APC and civil society members criticised calls for a delay, saying it would bring the credibility of the election into question, and that the People’s Democratic party sought a postponement because it feared losing.
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