Election may not hold in troubled states
The National Council of State, NCS, yesterday asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to decide whether the elections would hold as scheduled, based on its level of preparedness. It also directed the commission to perform its civic responsibility of conducting elections.
The elections are scheduled for February 14 and 28. INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who also attended the meeting, has consistently insisted that the electoral body was ready for the conduct of the election.
Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, briefed State House correspondents after the over sevenhour meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said the meeting discussed the state of preparedness of INEC, while the electoral body also had the benefit of input from council members, security chiefs and agencies. Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Bala Ngilari (Adamawa) accompanied Mimiko to the briefing.
The Ondo State governor said that based on the exhaustive discussion and pieces of advice from council members, INEC, which is constitutionally empowered, would brief the nation on the conduct of the election. Mimiko noted that INEC was asked to consult widely with stakeholders and come up with a decision.
On whether the decision of the council meeting was for a shift in the conduct of the election, Mimiko said: “The Council of State is essentially an advisory body.
“The President in his wisdom had invited INEC to brief us on the state of preparedness. Based on what INEC briefed and based on perception of council members and security agencies, INEC was properly advised and you will hear from INEC.”
The meeting, according to Mimiko, also noted that a few days to the election, 34 per cent of Nigerians were to get their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs. Also discussed were the new technology of card reader, the extent to which people are familiar with the new technology and security issues.
Okorocha said the council advised INEC to go and perform its civic responsibility which is to conduct elections.
“That is what we rose to agree, it was a very challenging moment, and INEC has reaffirmed severally that they are ready, but because of concern of security agencies in some few local governments, council asked INEC to go and perform its civic responsibilities, which is the conduct of elections,” he added.
He maintained that there was no decision as to change of date or postponement of elections. The governor, however, said that INEC might not hold elections in the troubled states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno, where there are security challenges.
Okorocha also disclosed that the issue of whether or not Jega resigned was not tabled at the meeting. Former head of state and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, led governors on the platform of the party to the meeting.
Also in attendance were former President Shehu Shagari and exheads of state, Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdusalami Abubakar and former Head of Interim National Government, ING, Chief Ernest Shonekan. However, former President Olusegun Obasanjo was absent.
Senate President, Senator David Mark; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal; National Security Adviser, Col. Sabo Dasuki (rtd); Attorney- General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke and. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, were also at the meeting.
The APC governors that attended the meeting were Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), ) Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa) Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Rochas Okorocha (Imo) Governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at the meeting were Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Idris Wada (Kogi); Ibrahim Shema (Katsina); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) and Jonah Jang (Plateau). Others were Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Liyel Imoke (Cross River); Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti); Mukhtar Yero (Kaduna); Willy Obiano (Anambra); Sullivan Chime (Enugu); Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe); Isa Yuguda (Bauchi) and Acting Governor of Taraba State, Abubakar Danladi. The governors of Borno, Yobe, Abia and Oyo states were represented by their deputies.
The governors of Kebbi, Benue and Ebonyi states were absent. The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, service chiefs, the Director-General of the Directorate of State Security, DSS, Ita Ekpeyong, and the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, also attended.
Meanwhile, 10 registered political parties, under the aegis of Coalition of Progressive Political Parties, COPP, yesterday rejected calls for the postponement of the general elections.
The political parties insisted that the elections must go on as scheduled, stressing that the call for the postponement had nothing to do with the pace of distribution and collection of PVCs.
The parties include Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, African Peoples Alliance, APA, Kowa Party, Mega Progressive People’s Party, MPPP, Social Democratic Party, SDP and African Democratic Congress, ADC. Others are Hope Democratic Party, HDP, Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, United Progressive Party, UPP, and Accord Party.
The declaration by the parties came two days after 16 other political parties called for the postponement of the elections. However, addressing a press conference in Abuja, spokesperson of the group and National Chairman of PDM, Bashir Ibrahim, said any attempt to postpone the poll would “plunge our country into anarchy.”
He said only INEC could determine whether or not to shift the election, adding that postponing the poll would amount to changing the rule in the middle of the game. Ibrahim, however, said if INEC eventually postponed the exercise, the 10 political parties would abide by the decision but urged it not to “buckle under political pressure.”
According to him, if states affected by insurgency are eager to participate in the poll, there is no reason why the exercise should be postponed.
He said one of the political parties, which he did not name, rent crowds and agents to call for the postponement.
“The call for the postponement of the general elections is, therefore, a call orchestrated by one of the political parties which has continued to invest huge sums of money to ensure the elections do not hold as scheduled out of fear of losing power for the first time since 1999.
“Our democracy has come of age and Nigerians are ready for change, we will not allow desperation and power-pondering to scuttle it and will do whatever is necessary to defend it and ensure that the general elections hold as scheduled.
“We call on INEC not to be intimidated by desperate elements and to proceed with its preparations for the general election as scheduled. “We assure INEC we shall stand by it, shoulder to shoulder, to ensure our democracy is not undermined.
“We urge all major stakeholders, especially well meaning political parties and their presidential candidates, the INEC and the National Assembly as well as all the security agencies in the country to stand together to ensure that the 2015 general election is conducted as scheduled and guarantee that Nigeria survives to face another general election.
source: national mirror
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