The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,
yesterday, reiterated its readiness for the forthcoming general elections even
as strong pressures were brought on its National Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega
by contending forces at the National Council of State, NCS, to shift the polls
by six weeks.
Jega, who, insisted on holding the election as scheduled
was, however, countered by service chiefs present at the meeting who, according
to sources, told him that they could not guarantee security for the election.
At the end of the meeting, the commission was told to go and
conduct its responsibility within its legal framework. The commission is
meeting tomorrow to review the developments, sources said.
However, Mr. Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC
chairman told Vanguard, last night, that nothing new had come up.
All former heads of state with the notable exception of
former President Olusegun Obasanjo were present at the meeting which was
chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan. Those in attendance included Vice
President Namadi Sambo, the president of the Senate, Senator David Mark;
Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, governors, and two former chief justices of the
country- Justice Dahiru Musdapher and Justice Alfa Belgore.
As the meeting got underway, Jega briefed the council on his
readiness for the election and was said to have confidently asserted the
readiness of the commission for the election.
He was, however, countered by the service chiefs who claimed
that they could not provide security for the elections. The service chiefs were
said to have volunteered that at least 17 local government areas in Borno State
were still under the occupation of terrorists.
In support of polls as scheduled
All former heads of state with the exception of President
Shehu Shagari and Chief Ernest Shonekan, who reportedly did not comment, were
said to have advised that the elections should not be postponed.
President Ibrahim Babangida, it was gathered, warned that
disrupting the elections would show a negative portrayal of the country and his
point was echoed by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.
While the PDP governors urged for a postponement, the APC
governors strongly backed Jega on going ahead with the election.
A former Chief Justice of the Federation present, it was
learned, also told the meeting that he had consulted all the other living
former chief justices and that they were all unanimous that the elections
should go on.
From left, former Heads of State — Chief Ernest Sonekan,
General Ibrahim Babangida, General Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Shehu Shagari,
General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representatives,
and Senate President, David Mark during the National Council of State meeting
held at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Inset: From left: President Goodluck
Jonathan, Shagari and Babangida, discussing after the meeting. Photos: Abayomi
Adeshida/State House.
Former Heads of State
during the National Council of State meeting held at the State House,
Abuja, yesterday.
Call for polls shift
But those who called for postponement, notably incumbent
political office holders from the PDP, were said to have raised issues with
INEC’s plans. Among the issues raised were that 34% of the Permanent Voter
Cards, PVCs had not been collected and the unreliability of the card readers.
The PDP governors, it was learned, argued that the card readers being deployed
for the election had never been tested before and that they feared that using
them could lead to chaos. However, the major contention was that security could
not be guaranteed and that point was pressed both by the service chiefs and the
PDP governors.
As the arguments drew to an end with majority of the members
urging that the commission should go ahead as scheduled, the president was said
to have asked Jega to go and consult with his commissioners in the light of the
discussions.
At this point, Gen. Abdulsalami was said to have insisted
that a clear message should be given to Nigerians that the council was not
divided on the issue and that the commission should be charged to go ahead with
its statutory responsibility as it deemed fit.
At the end of the seven-hour meeting, Governors Rochas
Okorocha, (Imo), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and Bala Ngilari (Adamawa) were asked
to brief the press on the outcome of the council meeting.
Official statement
Governor Mimiko who spoke first at the press conference
stated: “Council of State in a meeting close to seven hours essentially
discussed the state of preparedness of INEC. INEC had the benefit of inputs
from council members and security chiefs and agencies.
He said: “And based on the very exhaustive discussion and
pieces of advice, INEC which is constitutionally empowered on the issue of
election on the basis of discussions at the council was asked to brief the
nation after consultation with other stakeholders and then the news will be
communicated to you”.
Asked if the council agreed to a shift in the date of the
election, Governor Mimiko said: “I made it absolutely clear, I am not the INEC
chief, INEC will appropriately brief you based on the meeting we just had.
“INEC is going to consult widely with stakeholders and come
up with a decision that they will brief the nation soon”.
Mimiko emphasised that “the Council of State is essentially
an advisory body. Mr. President in his wisdom has invited INEC to brief us on
the state of preparedness based on what INEC briefed and based on perception of
council members and security agencies, INEC was properly advised and you will
hear from INEC”.
Governor Okorocha, who was seated beside him, insisted that
he must speak in order to give a broader perspective on the decision reached by
the council. He told State House Correspondents: “National Council of State
advised INEC to go and perform its civic responsibility which is to conduct
elections. That is what we rose to agree, it was a very challenging moment, and
INEC has reaffirmed severally that they are ready, but because of concerns of
security agencies in some few local governments, Council asked INEC to go and
perform their civic responsibilities, which is the conduct of elections.”
Asked if there was a decision as to change of date for the
polls, Governor Okorocha said: “There is no decision as to change of date or
postponement at all. But the Council has asked INEC to go and perform their
responsibility.”
On whether council agreed on the use of temporary voter
cards, he said: “The temporary voters cards are being exchanged for the new
ones and once you have given out your temporary voters card, that means you
don’t have any more. So they are going for the permanent voter cards, and the
PVC would be assumed to have been distributed before Sunday that was the
essence of the whole exercise, and Jega has reassured us that they are equal to
the task, in-fact, they are more prepared than they were in 2011″.
Asked if the report of alleged resignation of Jega was
tabled, Okorocha said: “No there was nothing like that discussed”.
He acknowledged that the PDP and APC governors are not on
the same page on the matter.
“As usual we will not be on the same page on any issues of
this nature. It is normal that some will be for and others will be against, but
the truth is that we looked at the constitution of Nigeria, that is the only
binding factor when there are issues of disagreement. The constitution guides
every one because that is the fundamental law that guides the whole nation’s
policies” .
He, however, emphasised that the APC expects the elections
to hold as scheduled.
Governors in attendance were those of Adamawa, Borno
(represented by the Deputy Governor), Kano, Osun, Imo, Nasarawa, Sokoto,
Anambra and Abia (deputy governor). Others were governors of Taraba,Niger,
Lagos, Bayelsa, Kogi, Rivers, Kaduna, Enugu,Ogun, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kwara,
Katsina, Ondo, Plateau, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Jigawa, Edo, Delta, Bauchi,
Ekiti, Oyo (deputy governor) Gombe.
The president of the senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives were also in attendance. Others in attendance were the Minister
of FCT, Bala Mohammed, Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke and the National
Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (Ret).
Earlier, before the commencement of the meeting, a mild
drama played out when General Muhammadu Buhari initially refused to join the
president and other former heads of state in the president’s office as it is
the tradition. It took the intervention of the Secretary to the government of
the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, the State Chief of Protocol, Senator Mark as
well as the Principal Secretary to the President, Hassan Tukur to persuade him
to join the other former heads of state.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Governors Forum have expressed
satisfaction with the outcome of the Council of State meeting.
A communiqué signed by Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Chairman
of the forum expressed satisfaction with the assurance issued by the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the National Security
Adviser, NSA on the state of preparedness for the 14th and 28th February
General elections.
The Communiqué said: “The Chairman of INEC assured Council
that INEC is ready to proceed with elections scheduled emphasizing, in their
own words, that ‘our accomplishments are to such a degree that we can conduct
the elections. Compared with the 2011 General Elections.”
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