Pressure mounted by President Goodluck
Jonathan’s loyalists and service chiefs on the
Independent National Electoral Commission led to
the postponement of the 2015 general elections,
SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
The polls were billed for February 14 (presidential
and National Assembly) and February 28
(governorship and House of Assembly).
Jonathan, candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party, is contesting against retired Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive
Congress and 12 other candidates at the
presidential poll.
Those who pushed for the postponement, despite
the opposition from the All Progressives Congress
and many Nigerians, include the Presidency; the
Peoples Democratic Party Jonathan’s loyalists;
the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo
Dasuki; the Chiefs of Defence, Army, Naval and Air
Staff, among others.
Two weeks ago, Dasuki, while speaking at a forum
at the Chatham House in London, asked INEC to
postpone the elections, saying the shift would
allow for proper preparations and distribution of
PVCs by the electoral body.
In an apparent reaction to Dasuki’s call, the
United States had on January 25, 2015, advised
Nigeria against postponing the elections.
The US Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, gave
the advice after he met with Jonathan and Buhari.
Kerry urged the Federal Government not to
postpone the elections as canvassed by Dasuki.

However, the military chiefs wrote to Jega, informing him of the security implication of holding the elections
in February as earlier scheduled. This, it was
learnt, what part of what influenced shifting of the
polls.
Before the INEC chairman announced the new
dates for the elections, the commission had
insisted that the presidential and National
Assembly elections be held on February 14, while
the governorship and states House of Assembly
election be held two weeks later.
Jega, however, changed the dates of the elections
at a press conference he addressed at the
commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Saturday.
He repeatedly held the NSA and security chiefs
responsible for the shift.
The press conference came up after he met with
representatives of all registered political parties.
Jega was said to have on Saturday told the
leaders of the parties, his officers and the civil
society groups that the commission was ready for
the election as planned, but that he was worried
because of the claim by the security agencies that
they would not be able to protect members of the
staff of the commission and the electorates.
Sixteen political parties led by the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party were said to have favoured the
shifting of the elections, while nine others led by
the opposition All Progressives Congress were
against the move.
Jega also had a marathon meeting with the
Resident Electoral Commissioners of all the 36
states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
At the meetings, Jega was said to have told the
attendees that he had received a letter from
service chiefs advising that he should postpone
the general elections on the grounds that the
security agencies were engaged in a renewed
battle against insurgency in the North-East.
This, they claimed, would require their full
concentration.
In the letter, it was gathered that the security
agencies were demanding a rescheduling of
elections by, at least, six weeks.
He also told the leaders of the political parties and
the Resident Electoral Commissioners that he
received a letter on Wednesday from the NSA,
informing him that it would be difficult for the
security agencies to protect the electorates during
the election.
The Council of State had on Thursday rose from a
seven-hour meeting, advising the INEC to conduct
the elections.
Jega was quoted to have told the council that the
commission was ready for the conduct of the
election but the military chiefs were quoted to
have said they could not guarantee the security of
electoral officers, materials and the electorate
should the commission go ahead with the earlier
schedule.
Same Thursday, Jonathan’s supporters under the
aegis of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly
led by Ijaw leader and ex-Minister of Information,
Chief Edwin Clark, called for the postponement of
the polls.
The group, at a press conference, pressed further
by asking for the sacking Chairman, INEC, Prof.
Attahiru Jega, and his arrest for allegedly
conniving with some northerners to manipulate
the presidential election against Jonathan.
Those in attendance included a former Vice-
President, Alex Ekwueme, ex-Minister of
Information, Walter Ofonagoro; ex-Governor of
Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife; Peoples
Democratic Party’s National Vice-Chairman
(South-South), Dr. Cairo Ojugboh, and the
Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee of the
recently held national confab, Senator Femi
Okurounmu, among others.
Okurounmu, who read a prepared speech jointly
signed by him, Clark and Ekwueme on behalf of
the group, said the alleged connivance with the
Northern Elders Forum was responsible for the
near 100 per cent collection of Permanent Voter
Cards in the North.
The PDP has also repeatedly called for a shift of
the polls in the past two weeks.
An INEC National Commissioner, who spoke to
SUNDAY PUNCH under anonymity after the
Saturday meetings, said it was better for the
commission to shift the elections in order to
protect the integrity of their outcome and those
that would take part in the conduct of the
elections.
He said, “You needed to be at the meeting and
see the mood of Jega. He was not happy because
his integrity was at stake and because these same
service chiefs had earlier given their words that
they were ready.
“Now, if he didn’t listen to their advice, these
same security agencies could create scenes
(problems) for the elections. They could sabotage
the distribution of sensitive materials.
“Apart from that, they could also refuse to provide
security for those involved in the elections and
could also sabotage the movement of sensitive
materials.”
The source said almost everyone in the country
was aware that the PDP-led Federal Government
was not ready for the elections.
“If the Federal Government that is funding the
security agencies and appointed their heads is
not ready for elections, how do you compel their
heads who are all appointees of the same
government to say they are ready,” another INEC
National Commissioner asked.

http://www.punchng.com/news/inside-story-brains-behind-poll-shift/

What of outside story?

It can be found on NL, where every tom and harry has a say. Speculating, fabricating and refurbishing.......

We knew the stuff was going to happen long before now.

Failed country.... i know who is behind this saga ....The one who has been seeking for paid miracles... his name is President Jona #wiseup

GEJ's regime is worse in the history of Nigeria, everybody in his government has been compromised, the security agencies has been turned into Zombie. Anyway, he just his day of disgrace. I sure say people like Obasanjo who knows all their rigging routes would be busy blocking them by now.

Is this all the gist there is?? I was looking forward to reading something new.

Failbuhari will also fail in March.

GEJ til 2019

we already knw... The tree go back to the president... U can only postponed d election, u Cant postponed ur trip to Otuoke

I'm not praying that military should not win the war, but we all know that the war cannot be won in six weeks. After, 6 weeks, and if nothing significant happens in that region, we shall continue to see our military as weak as they have become overtime. The military chiefs are as stuupid as the person that appointed them.

Jonathan humiliation has been postponed, no matter what he's going back to Otuoke, marchJona out of Aso rock to Otuoke & marchinBUHARI/OSINBAJO.

Who will Apc turn to for campaign fund,ATM AMAECHI and hedge cund investor Tinubu has run out of cash.shekau over to u.

MatchBUHARI and MARCH4GEJ. That's all I have to say.. Una happy sunday.



GEJ till 2019, Ribadu continues

Switpal:
Failbuhari will also fail in March.

GEJ til 2019

seconded

Gej till 2019