INEC Chairman, Jega capitulates to security chiefs: set to announce a shift in the election time table

Professor Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, will tonight announce the postponement of the scheduled general elections, set to kick off on 14 February. The shift now looks inevitable.

The under-pressure INEC chairman has finally succumbed to the blackmail of all the security agencies in the country,acting the script of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party and is set to announce the shift. The postponement may be as long as six weeks.

Since the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, suggested the poll shift over late delivery of permanent voters card, Jega had maintained that the commission would keep faith with time-table, even if it will mean distributing the PVCs on election day.

He maintained this position Thursday at the meeting of the National Council of States and had asked for time for consultation when the security chiefs said they could not guarantee the provision of security during the election.

In letters written to INEC, the agencies said they would be mounting special operation against Boko Haram from 14 February when the nation was expected to have the presidential and National Assembly elections.

This picture emerged in the briefing Jega gave representatives of 25 civil society groups in Abuja Saturday informing them that all security agencies in the country have indicated to him, in writing, that they are not available to support the elections planned for February 14 and 28.

Mr. Jega, had met with representatives of 25 political parties, and is about now concluding ‘consultations’ with the 36 resident electoral commissioners, majority of whom oppose the postponement of the election.

PremiumTimes, quoting an insider at the meeting reported: “its pretty much a done deal at this point that the elections will be postponed”.

Premiumtimes also quoted Jibrin Ibrahim, a leading African election expert and senior fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, in Abuja, who was at the meeting.

Jibrin said Mr. Jega told the meeting that security operatives from all the agencies told INEC that they were commencing a six week special operations against Boko Haram insurgents in the north eastern corridors of the country and would rather not be distracted by the elections.