Attahiru Jega has washed his hands off suggestion by allies of President Goodluck Jonathan that the general elections be shifted from February.
Jonathan’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, flew the kite in London on Thursday, January 22 to enable the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) distribute the remaining 30 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) still in print.
Jega, INEC Chairman, countered the following day that there are no plans to postpone the ballot.
He told a conference on Mitigation of Violence in Election organised by the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) in Abuja that the February 14 date remains unchanged and advised Nigerians to continue to mobilise voters.
“We have never sat to deliberate on the need to shift the February elections, we released the time table for the elections almost a year ago and we are seriously working to achieve just that,” he reiterated.
He expressed concern over the attitude of many eligible voters who fail to collect their voter cards, saying the INEC should not be blamed for this.
“Yes we can even allow for the distribution of PVCs up to the eve of election day, which is February 13, 2015, but it will be good for voters to come and collect their PVC as soon as possible.”
In his own reaction, the Director of Media and Information Management of Buhari Support Organisation (BSO), Chidia Maduekwe, urged Nigerians to condemn plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to postpone the vote.
Maduekwe, who also spoke for the All Progressives Congress (APC), likened the plan to the days of the Association of Better Nigeria (ABN), led by Arthur Nzeribe in 1993, and warned that the country must not be allowed to degenerate to that level.
“The inglorious days of the ABN is about to be berthed again in our political history. The ABN platform was used to dubiously campaign for the annulment of the fairest and freest presidential election in the history of Nigeria,” he recalled.
“We are here today, resolved to say it boldly that we shall never pass through this way of perfidy.
“All well meaning Nigerians and the international community are hereby asked to rise up and pull Nigeria back from walking on this predictable pact that will only lead to self destruction as a nation.
“Postponement of next month’s election under any plot or an interim government under any guise is totally hereby rejected.”
