4th April, 2011
Professor Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission offered to quit his post Saturday night at an emergency and stormy meeting of Nigeria’s National Security Council, with the hawks baying for his blood, for halting the first phase of Nigeria’s most expensive election, various sources told P.M News this morning.
The meeting was summoned by President Goodluck Jonathan moments after he returned to Abuja from his hometown of Otueke, Bayelsa State, where he had gone Friday to vote. By 11 a.m on Saturday, even the President had not been accredited to vote. Moments after, Professor Jega peremptorily announced cessation of the exercise nationwide.
At the Saturday night meeting attended by the National Security adviser, the vice-president, the inspector general of police and ministers of defence and police affairs, Professor Jega was blamed for the electoral fiasco and suggestions made that he should resign as he had demonstrated that he was incapable of organising the election. Sources said Jega restated why the action was taken and why it was in the best interest of Nigeria to try to have a credible election and that he was willing to quit if there was no more confidence in him. But according to sources, President Jonathan asked him to shelve thoughts of resigning.
According to sources, the meeting ended with a decision that the INEC boss must change the date of the National Assembly poll once again and shift the dates for other scheduled polls as well, a view that coincided with the crystallising view of the opposition political parties and the civil society groups.
By Sunday, Professor Jega announced the new dates after consultations with the political parties.
While many Nigerians applauded the decision, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Observer Group said that the repeated and last minute postponements of the elections are regrettable.
The group’s Chairman, former Botswana President Festus Mogae, made the observation in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, a copy of which was made available to the News agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“We have noted the further postponement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the National Assembly elections, and that the Presidential elections have also now been postponed,†he said.
The statement noted that INEC made the announcement following consultation with the principal stakeholders in the general elections.
It also acknowledged “that it is the prerogative of Nigeria’s electoral authorities to make changes to the electoral timetable. “We believe, nevertheless, that such repeated and last minute changes are regrettable and do not reflect positively on the state of preparedness of INEC. “What is important, however, is that the elections take place as now rescheduled, that they are free, fair and credible, that peace and tranquillity are maintained, that all stakeholders conduct themselves responsibly and that the people of Nigeria retain faith in the democratic process,†it said.
INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega announced new dates for the conduct of the April general elections on Sunday in Abuja after a closed door meeting with chairmen of political parties and other stakeholders.
Jega said the National Assembly elections would now hold on April 9, Presidential election on April 16, while the state Houses of Assembly and governorship elections would take place on April 26.
INEC had earlier moved the National Assembly election from April 2 to April 4, believing that a two-day postponement was enough to address all the logistical issues that might affect the conduct of the elections.
The INEC Chairman said the new dates for the general elections were the outcome of demands from political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.