INEC and the Election Postponement? GO-NOGO!!!

According to premiumtimes:

Twenty one Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, have rejected a proposal to postpone Nigeria’s general elections billed for February 14 and 28.

In a vote conducted Saturday by the INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega, after he met with political parties and the civil society, 21 RECs said the elections should continue as planned while 16 others voted in support of a reschedule.  Nigeria has 37 RECs, each for a state and the Federal Capital, Abuja.

The outcome of the vote came as Nigerians await INEC’s decision on whether the elections are moved or not.

After 17 political parties voted for a postponement as against 11 that argued for INEC to remain faithful to its time table, the mood across the land suggested that INEC will capitulate to a demand by military and security chiefs asking for a six weeks postponement on the presumed grounds that they have a special operations to we against the six year insurgency which appears to be spreading on a daily basis.

According to ChannelsTV

Political parties in Nigeria are still divided over the need to postpone the 2015 general elections, which has topped talks at meetings between political . While the INEC is still holding talks with stakeholders on Saturday there were speculations that the polls scheduled for February 14 and 28 would be postponed by about six weeks.

Although the INEC is yet to make any official announcement about the election postponement, international media organisations are quoting an unnamed Nigerian official as saying that elections will be postponed in order to give the new multinational force time to secure areas under Boko Haram control.

Electoral commission in Nigeria postpones 14 February general election by six weeks over security concerns. This is based on the advice by the national security council who said it cannot guarantee safety in 4 states (Adamawa, Yobe, Borno & Gombe) if the elections were to go ahead.



However Professor Jega who stated that INEC is not a security body and will in this case listen to the security advice and as such the general elections are being postponed.

Presidential/National Assembly - March 28, 2015
Governorship/State House of Assembly: April 11,2015

In other remarks, Prof Jega mentioned that this extra time will allow them (INEC) to distribute more PVCs, do more training and be more properly prepared

JEGA NOTES: Nobody has forced us and we have not caved in to any pressure.

Jega re-iterates, One thing is sure, We cannot extend Elections more than the stipulated office dates..May 29

People React:


oby ezekwesili @obyezeks
I don't know about other people, but as an informed Citizen, I am NOT PERSUADED by the reasons adduced for postponement of 2015 elections.

 Patrick Obahiagbon @PObahiagbon
Not expecting everyone to be rational about this but take a step back and think before you @ me...

@zybahh: How are we sure the securities would be ready before march this is jst a conspiracy

 #BringBackOurGirls @SeunAfuwape
INEC is ready. Security agencies need 6weeks to accomplish what they couldn't in 6years. 6wks is almost here, let us wait for d next story

JayBlues @mrJaymi
If it's February, we would Febuari. If it is March, we would March for Buhari and if it is April, we would fool #Gej. Change must happen..

Bola Ahmed Tinubu @AsiwajuTinubu
The postponement of the Feb. 14 elections is a mere pretext by the PDP to gain time to perfect their rigging machine. Nigerians are unhappy