Originally slated to
hold on February 14
and 28, INEC
Chairman, Attahiru
Jega stated that the
body had to reach
the decision because
the nation’s security
agencies had said
that they would be
too busy fighting the
insurgency brought
on by Boko Haram to
provide protection
during the elections.
.
.
Nigeria’s Independent
National Electoral
Commission (INEC) on
Saturday, February 7,
2015, announced that
the country’s general
elections have been
postponed by six
weeks »
.
Originally slated to hold
on February 14 and 28,
INEC Chairman,
Attahiru Jega stated
that the body had to
reach the decision »
because the nation’s
security agencies had
said that they would be
too busy fighting the
insurgency brought on
by Boko Haram to
provide protection
during the elections.
The insurgency in the
North-East has been
ongoing for years and
despite six years in
office, the proclamation
of a "State of
Emergency" and two
period extensions of
same, Goodluck
Jonathan’s
administration has
failed to win the war
against terror in Nigeria.
The most glaring
example of the
insincerity of the
government in
postponing the
elections is the case of
the Baga Massacre of
January 2015. About
2,000 people were
reportedly killed »
over a four-six day
period, yet there was
no word from Jonathan
or his suddenly
vociferous National
Security Adviser,
Sambo Dasuki.
It was Dasuki who
made the initial call
for the
postponement of the
polls »
and who also informed
Jega that no security
could (would) be
provided for the polls if
he insisted on
conducting them in
February.
The Director General of
the National Orientation
Agency, Mike Omeri
said during an
interview on January
26 »
that it wouldn’t be fair
to hold the election if
half of the 68 million
registered voters
cannot vote. He added
that a postponement
of perhaps six weeks
could be a fair
alternative. The
elections were
eventually postponed
for six weeks »
.
Mr. Omeri also
proceeded to employ
scare tactics
announcing that female
suicide bombers
intended to detonate
explosions while people
were voting. Is this the
way for an official of a
country’s government
to react to intelligence
reports? Should he
strike fear in the hearts
of citizens or inform the
necessary security
agencies? Why exactly
is the DG of the NOA
speaking on sensitive
security matters?
Jonathan’s Senior
Special Assistant on
Public Affairs, Doyin
Okupe stated on
Friday, February 6, while
denying his boss’
interest in a
postponement, that “…
in 2003, 2007, and 2011
the elections were held
in April, and the hand
over date was not
affected," suggesting
pre-knowledge of an
imminent poll shift.
This came after
supporters of Jonathan,
led by known
Presidential mouthpiece,
Edwin Clark, on
Thursday, February 5,
demanded the
postponement of the
elections or Jega’s
resignation.
On February 7, before
INEC announced its
decision on whether to
postpone or not,
soldiers, complete with
armoured tanks,
flooded the streets of
Nigeria’s major cities
apparently to prevent
an uprising.
This makes it seem
that Jega was not given
a choice in the matter
and it’s amazing that
the same soldiers who
could not be available to
provide security on
February 14 were
suddenly available to
harass citizens and
prevent protests a
week before that time.
The postponement has
been announced and will
apparently stand but
beyond the blatant
disregard meted out to
Nigeria’s democracy
»
and its citizens, a
pertinent question
must now be asked;
Why?
Why did the Federal
Government so
desperately want a poll
shift? Is it so that the
court cases seeking
the disqualification »
of All Progressives
Congress (APC)
candidate,
Muhammadu Buhari
can be concluded? Is it a
plot to develop more
advanced rigging »
techniques? Are they
planning to use Nigeria’s
army or perhaps the
newly constituted
multinational force to
cause havoc? What
exactly is the next
step?
Former President,
Olusegun Obasanjo
warned in a letter
written in December
2013 that President
Jonathan was training
snipers to further his
re-election bid and in the
light of recent
happenings, it seems
that Obasanjo’s
warnings must now be
taken seriously.
What sinister plot lies
ahead of this six-week
extension? What
exactly do Jonathan and
the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party »
(PDP) stand to gain
from it? What fears
should Nigerians begin
to harbour in advance?
Jega stated during his
address that though
there are ‘sufficient
grounds for cynicism’,
Nigerians must “keep
hope alive.”
Unfortunately, as one
Twitter user » pointed
out, hope is not a
strategy.