Former Federal Capital Territory minister, Nasir El-Rufai, has called for the postponement of the 2011 general elections and the May 29 handover date.

While speaking on ‘Credible voters register’ at a conference organised by Change Nigeria Project and the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, yesterday, Mr. El-Rufai stated that the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, should be given all the resources necessary, including time, to achieve his aim of reforming the electoral body and preparing a credible voters register.

The campaign has started

“We may have to ask the people in the National Assembly to amend the constitution, to give him (Mr. Jega) the time he needs to reform INEC,” the former minister said.

He also warned Nigerians not to put all hope of a free and fair election on the INEC chairman and the new INEC board because of the short time and limited resources at their disposal.

“Let us not expect too much from one man. We are expecting too much from one man and a few people, and I think it is not possible,” he said.

Tunde Bakare, the convener of the SNG, advised Mr. Jega to be forthcoming on his new position. Mr. Bakare, who is also the spiritual leader of the Latter Rain Assembly, stated that Mr. Jega, being the eleventh Nigerian to supervise the nation’s electoral body since independence, should not disappoint Nigerians in 2011. He said that Nigeria was in its eleventh hour and the activities of Mr. Jega could make or mar the country in next year’s general elections.

Almami Cyllahi, the African director of the International Foundation of Electoral Systems, explained that INEC “should not be solely held responsible for the accuracy of the voters register.”

“Until we continue to look at elections as a cycle, rather than an event, we will be getting it wrong all the time,” said Mr. Cyllahi, the Sierra Leonean.

Don’t expect credible elections in January

Former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, who spoke on ‘conducting free and fair elections in 2011,’ explained that Mr. Jega could not really influence the conduct of the 2011 elections.

“He has been handed mission impossible. The chairman of INEC has little or no bearing on the success of an election,” he said.

Mr. Duke noted that based on his experience as a governor, it was the presiding officers at the over 120,000 polling booths in Nigeria that could manipulate elections most. He called for a more technologically driven electioneering process and voter registration.

While calling for support and more time to be given to Mr. Jega to do his job, Mr. Duke noted that “we cannot have credible elections in January. We can have elections, but they may not be credible.”

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5594199-146/el-rufai_wants_2011_elections_delayed_.csp

When are we going to have credible election? Wait for ten 2years credible election will not hold, except all these corrupt leaders are quarantined. I equally see waiting for more time as a way for allowing continuity in our electoral system.

true talk.i think d clean up in inec can only be effective if d new inec officers are given enough time to understand what they have been assigned to do.let us put aside the ideal of some pple benefitting from the delay because @ the end its going to be beneficial to all true nigerians.even if jega fails he will nt have excuse.

Cosigned. If some more time is needed then it should be given. We need to get this thing right and if more time would be needed to organise and conduct credible, free and fair elections, then pushing the date forward sounds logical.

I agree that more time should be given if it is needed. Credible elections is a fundamental for any democracy.
It is worth the wait. In a country as anarchic as Nigeria, where the "federal" system is designed to be unaccountable and rigging is the only means of acheiving political office; the simple introduction of credible election will be a revolution in itself. For the first time, we would be able to choose credible and accountable representatives of the people to lead us out of the ever deepening abbys we are sinking into.

The issue is so serious, that we must demand guarantees and necessary checks and balances to ensure that the only reason for pushing the election date backward is the blessing of credible elections. If after the extension period, we still do not have credible elections, then heads must roll. . . Literarily.

I agree that more time should be given if it is needed. Credible elections is a fundamental for any democracy.
It is worth the wait. In a country as anarchic as Nigeria, where the "federal" system is designed to be unaccountable and rigging is the only means of acheiving political office; the simple introduction of credible election will be a revolution in itself. For the first time, we would be able to choose credible and accountable representatives of the people to lead us out of the ever deepening abbys we are sinking into.

The issue is so serious, that we must demand guarantees and necessary checks and balances to ensure that the only reason for pushing the election date backward is the blessing of credible elections. If after the extension period, we still do not have credible elections, then heads must roll. . . Literarily.

the point is you can never know their intentions,

suppose they promise you free-est and fair-est election and then extend the date by 6months, you would be playing into their hands,

after the so called extension, the usual continues and then they rigg themselves into power,

it means you have been f uck@d in the a55 ,


SO ARE U READY TO TAKE THE PLUNGE _{cos it raises other questions}

kobikwelu:


the point is you can never know their intentions,

suppose they promise you free-est and fair-est election and then extend the date by 6months, you would be playing into their hands,

after the so called extension, the usual continues and then they rigg themselves into power,

it means you have been f uck@d in the a55 ,


SO ARE U READY TO TAKE THE PLUNGE _{cos it raises other questions}

I believe the price is worth the risk, but we must be ready to loot, burn and assassinate if the status quo is maintained after any extension.

^^^^^^^


after six months have gone and more strategies has been put in place to perfect the institutionalization of their god-father,mothers,sons,daughters,aunts,uncle etc.

and as to your above suggestion, WHERE WILL YOU BE WHEN THERE IS CHAOS EVERY WHERE,

HOPE YOU WOULD BE IN THE FRONT, WHEN THE "LOOTING, ASSASSINATIONS,BURNING "ARE TAKING PLACE

With all due respect to El-Rufai, he is wrong on this occassion.

What we don't want to toy with is moving the goal post.

The Sanctity of May 29 every four years and the understanding that the goal post should never be moved no matter who is involved was what defeated the 3rd term agenda. Barely 3years down the line I do not think it makes a lot of sense to toy with the idea of moving the goal post for anybody.

Elections are never perfect anywhere but they are still usually held on time to guarantee that a handover date is not extended. If we begin to move handover dates where does it stop? this phenomenon may continue forever. And corrupt Governments will exploit it to extend their tenure through the back door.

It may be Jonathan today, but it can also be Aliyu Shinkaffi tommorow or Olusegun Ajibola tomorrow or Emeka Okeke.

When you open the floodgates of tampering with tenure limits and handover dates, you distroy the sanctity of these events and that could be dangerous for the future of Nigeria.

Jonathan and Jega knew the next handover date before appointing Jega. It is still possible to make real efforts at improving our electoral fortunes in 2011. It will never be perfect but we can also learn from it.

When was Jega appointed? Has there been any real efforts to produce a credible electoral register since then? Have they started anything yet? I don't think with such attitude a 10year extension will make any difference. Let elections be held as normal. Jega should make as much effort as he can.

We don't need any extensions!!!! Its tenure elongation through the back door.

^^^^^^^

kudos

kobikwelu:

^^^^^^^

kudos

Ask them what they will use the extension for? to unlearn how to rig elections? People just need to get serious.

You can have creditable election in nigeria, but it would lead to war if the result are decleared.

Is the north ready to go into minority status or Igbos become permanent minority. The north would not agree to be minority and the Igbos agree they are permanent minority. NO. and what it means is we have to cancel some  state in Nigeria. and remove all local govt.

But this would lead to a civil war, because the north would not agree to become minority. and the igbos would not agree to be minority. and drop from 13% to nearly 7% of the total population. We are  back to the same story, we remove the Yorubas,edo,delta  and form a country or to benin republic.

The people of nigeria lifes is greater than the nation of nigeria. It is even greater than the unity of Nigeria. It is greater than Jonathan job. Human life is priceless. Unity of Nigeria can not bring back life or buy life. Men who think of national interest over human life , need to do a check on what they believe. We must know our priority first is to the  people  of nigeria and not to the nation of nigeria or the president of nigeria.

Noone would want to vote for a president who think, national interest is more important than the citizen life.

Do you think america would place Obama job over the lifes of american?  NOWAY. we have to get where priority is first.

My priority is first to the people of Nigeria before national interest, dead people dont make a nation. Even the constitution of nigeria put human life above national interest check the constitution.

No discussions allowed about elections but only  for the  fact that we need to think  more about separation deeply as the only solution to suffering. NIGERIA IS SUFFERING

what I could help you people do is post the state by state satellite pictures.

This may help you or if you people want. I can make a book with the satellite pictures of Nigeria, state by state and local government by local government. And you people would see, that I have been telling you people the truth.

Who is he? a criminal?

BIG B1,  you want to  emerge as a ADENUGA .You want IBB loot. Good Man. You need to shear the penalties associated with him too. You want blood money. IBB can not stop a natural punishment, and you too would go to hell with him

El-Rufai El-Obo, da fukks elrufai

What exactly will make next year's election free and fair? Will it be free and fair if Jonathan, or Babangida, or Buhari wins?