Nigerian Military Forces Shift in Election Dates
by Omeiza Ajayi & Regina Otokpa on Feb 8, 2015
National Mirror
…says new offensive against insurgents begins Feb 14
Polls now to hold on March 28, April 11, says INEC
CSOs demand resignation of service chiefs
The nation’s military establishment has forced the postponement of the general elections slated for February 14 and 28, citing its inability to guarantee security nationwide.
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said at a press conference last night that the elections will now hold on March 28 and April 11 based on a request for a six-week postponement by the military high command.
Jega, who spoke after a series of marathon “consultative” meetings with several stakeholders in the electoral process, explained that the military leadership had indicated that troops would have to concentrate on fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North East and would not be available for security duties during the elections at the earlier scheduled dates.
He however said that while the Commission was prepared, the postponement will allow for more time to perfects arrangements for the polls.
Reports indicated that about 20 of INEC’s States Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, were opposed to the postponement of the lections but their hands were tied.
According to the election timetable, which was designed over a year ago, the Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections were to hold February 14 while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections were fixed for February 28.
Civil society groups reacted angrily to the postponement and demanded the resignation of the Chief of Defence Staff and heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police for failure to live up to their constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and property at all times.
Before the announcement, INEC had met separately with representatives of the nation’s 28 political parties, all the states Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, and 25 civil society groups.
As the moves to postpone the polls gained traction last week, at least 12 parties including the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and 25 CSOs had rejected the idea while 17 parties were in favour, citing the hitches being experienced with the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards PVCs.
Three days before yesterday’s announcement meeting, 16 parties had called for a shift in the elections. They were the United Democratic Party, UDP; the Citizen Peoples Party, CPP; the Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN; the Action Alliance, AA; the Peoples Democratic Congress, PDC; the Labour Party, LP; Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN; Alliance for Democracy, AD; New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, and the Independent Democrat, ID.
Others were the Advanced Congress of Democrats, ACD; Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN; Fresh Democratic Party, FDP; National Conscience Party, NCP; All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; and Progressives Peoples Alliance, PPA.
Twenty four hours later, 10 others rejected the call.
The parties are the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM; African Peoples Alliance, APA; Kowa Party; Mega Progressives Peoples Party, MPPP; Social Democratic Party, SDP; African Democratic Congress, ADC; Hope Democratic Party, HDP; Democratic Peoples Party, DPP; United Progressives Party, UPP; Accord Party, AP.
Participants said yesterday’s meetings was not exactly “consultative” as Jega merely informed the stakeholders that all security agencies in the country had written to him to announce their non-availability for the general elections as they will be in the three north eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa battling terrorists.
While the national chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, was earlier quoted as saying that going ahead with the elections would have led to the disenfranchisement of about 34 per cent of registered voters, spokesman of the party’s presidential campaign organisation, Femi Fani- Kayode denied reports accusing the party of subtly pushing for a shift in the dates of the elections.
The PDP-controlled Federal Government had however been using security agencies, through the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, to advocate a postponement of the elections.
However, Sunday Mirror checks revealed that except where the federation is at war, the law does not provide for a blanket shift of all elections across the whole federation.
Section 26(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (amended) states that: “Where a date has been appointed for the holding of an election, and there is reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded with on that date or it is impossible to conduct the elections as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies, the commission may postpone the election and shall in respect of the area, or areas concerned, appoint another date for the holding of the postponed election provided that such reason for the postponement is cogent and verifiable.”
Consequently, a group of over 60 Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, under the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room have urged Nigerians to stand up in defence of democracy, saying it was absurd for the military to be dictating to INEC.
The group stated its position in a joint statement after meeting with Jega and the Commission’s 12 National Commissioners.
At the meeting, Prof. Jega, said that he had received a letter from the security services advising that he postponed the general elections on the grounds that the security agencies were engaged in a renewed battle against insurgency in the North-East that would require their full concentration.
In the said letter, the military reportedly demanded a rescheduling of elections by “at least six weeks in the first instance”.
The implication is that if the war is not won within six weeks, the elections could be further shifted.
The Federal Government had since 2009 fought the Boko Haram insurgents without winning, and political analysts are worried that a war that could not be won within six years may not also be won in six weeks.
The Situation Room said it conveyed to INEC its disappointment with the letter from the security agencies pointing out that this amounted to the military’s abdication of its constitutional duties to provide security to citizens and to the Commission to enable it conduct elections and appeared contrived to truncate the democratic process in Nigeria.
“Situation Room is further worried that the military’s position also aims to blackmail and arm-twist the Election Management Body away from its constitutional guaranteed function of conducting elections.
“Situation Room also condemns this advisory by security agents that they cannot guarantee the security of citizens, election officials and materials during the election”, the group stated.
It also called for the resignation of military chiefs and security heads including the Police on account of their inability to exercise their constitutional responsibility to secure lives and property at all times including during the elections.
The Situation Room also calls on Nigerians to be vigilant and be ready to protect this hard won democracy.
The Situation Room is made up of CSOs working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria and includes such groups as Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC, CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, Enough is Enough Nigeria and Wangonet
Others include: Partners for Electoral Reform and Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement, YIAGA, Development Dynamics, Human Rights Monitor, Election Monitor, Reclaim Naija, Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and several others.
In the letter sent to INEC by security forces, military operations against the insurgents have been slated to begin on February 14.
As a precursor to the operations, military delegations of Nigeria and Chad had on Friday concluded a bilateral meeting to review the progress of the ongoing counter terrorism campaign being conducted in the Lake Chad Basin area.
The forum noted the recent successes in the various fronts of the operations and resolved on additional measures to sustain the momentum of the campaign.
They also resolved to enhance established structures for the coordination and logistics of the combined operations towards a speedy defeat of terror in the region.
Countries in the Lake Chad Basin had also reconstituted its Multi-National Joint Taskforce to soon begin operations to rein in the terrorists.
National Mirror
…says new offensive against insurgents begins Feb 14
Polls now to hold on March 28, April 11, says INEC
CSOs demand resignation of service chiefs
The nation’s military establishment has forced the postponement of the general elections slated for February 14 and 28, citing its inability to guarantee security nationwide.
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said at a press conference last night that the elections will now hold on March 28 and April 11 based on a request for a six-week postponement by the military high command.
Jega, who spoke after a series of marathon “consultative” meetings with several stakeholders in the electoral process, explained that the military leadership had indicated that troops would have to concentrate on fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North East and would not be available for security duties during the elections at the earlier scheduled dates.
He however said that while the Commission was prepared, the postponement will allow for more time to perfects arrangements for the polls.
Reports indicated that about 20 of INEC’s States Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, were opposed to the postponement of the lections but their hands were tied.
According to the election timetable, which was designed over a year ago, the Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections were to hold February 14 while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections were fixed for February 28.
Civil society groups reacted angrily to the postponement and demanded the resignation of the Chief of Defence Staff and heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police for failure to live up to their constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and property at all times.
Before the announcement, INEC had met separately with representatives of the nation’s 28 political parties, all the states Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, and 25 civil society groups.
As the moves to postpone the polls gained traction last week, at least 12 parties including the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and 25 CSOs had rejected the idea while 17 parties were in favour, citing the hitches being experienced with the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards PVCs.
Three days before yesterday’s announcement meeting, 16 parties had called for a shift in the elections. They were the United Democratic Party, UDP; the Citizen Peoples Party, CPP; the Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN; the Action Alliance, AA; the Peoples Democratic Congress, PDC; the Labour Party, LP; Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN; Alliance for Democracy, AD; New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, and the Independent Democrat, ID.
Others were the Advanced Congress of Democrats, ACD; Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN; Fresh Democratic Party, FDP; National Conscience Party, NCP; All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; and Progressives Peoples Alliance, PPA.
Twenty four hours later, 10 others rejected the call.
The parties are the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM; African Peoples Alliance, APA; Kowa Party; Mega Progressives Peoples Party, MPPP; Social Democratic Party, SDP; African Democratic Congress, ADC; Hope Democratic Party, HDP; Democratic Peoples Party, DPP; United Progressives Party, UPP; Accord Party, AP.
Participants said yesterday’s meetings was not exactly “consultative” as Jega merely informed the stakeholders that all security agencies in the country had written to him to announce their non-availability for the general elections as they will be in the three north eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa battling terrorists.
While the national chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, was earlier quoted as saying that going ahead with the elections would have led to the disenfranchisement of about 34 per cent of registered voters, spokesman of the party’s presidential campaign organisation, Femi Fani- Kayode denied reports accusing the party of subtly pushing for a shift in the dates of the elections.
The PDP-controlled Federal Government had however been using security agencies, through the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, to advocate a postponement of the elections.
However, Sunday Mirror checks revealed that except where the federation is at war, the law does not provide for a blanket shift of all elections across the whole federation.
Section 26(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (amended) states that: “Where a date has been appointed for the holding of an election, and there is reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded with on that date or it is impossible to conduct the elections as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies, the commission may postpone the election and shall in respect of the area, or areas concerned, appoint another date for the holding of the postponed election provided that such reason for the postponement is cogent and verifiable.”
Consequently, a group of over 60 Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, under the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room have urged Nigerians to stand up in defence of democracy, saying it was absurd for the military to be dictating to INEC.
The group stated its position in a joint statement after meeting with Jega and the Commission’s 12 National Commissioners.
At the meeting, Prof. Jega, said that he had received a letter from the security services advising that he postponed the general elections on the grounds that the security agencies were engaged in a renewed battle against insurgency in the North-East that would require their full concentration.
In the said letter, the military reportedly demanded a rescheduling of elections by “at least six weeks in the first instance”.
The implication is that if the war is not won within six weeks, the elections could be further shifted.
The Federal Government had since 2009 fought the Boko Haram insurgents without winning, and political analysts are worried that a war that could not be won within six years may not also be won in six weeks.
The Situation Room said it conveyed to INEC its disappointment with the letter from the security agencies pointing out that this amounted to the military’s abdication of its constitutional duties to provide security to citizens and to the Commission to enable it conduct elections and appeared contrived to truncate the democratic process in Nigeria.
“Situation Room is further worried that the military’s position also aims to blackmail and arm-twist the Election Management Body away from its constitutional guaranteed function of conducting elections.
“Situation Room also condemns this advisory by security agents that they cannot guarantee the security of citizens, election officials and materials during the election”, the group stated.
It also called for the resignation of military chiefs and security heads including the Police on account of their inability to exercise their constitutional responsibility to secure lives and property at all times including during the elections.
The Situation Room also calls on Nigerians to be vigilant and be ready to protect this hard won democracy.
The Situation Room is made up of CSOs working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria and includes such groups as Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC, CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, Enough is Enough Nigeria and Wangonet
Others include: Partners for Electoral Reform and Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement, YIAGA, Development Dynamics, Human Rights Monitor, Election Monitor, Reclaim Naija, Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and several others.
In the letter sent to INEC by security forces, military operations against the insurgents have been slated to begin on February 14.
As a precursor to the operations, military delegations of Nigeria and Chad had on Friday concluded a bilateral meeting to review the progress of the ongoing counter terrorism campaign being conducted in the Lake Chad Basin area.
The forum noted the recent successes in the various fronts of the operations and resolved on additional measures to sustain the momentum of the campaign.
They also resolved to enhance established structures for the coordination and logistics of the combined operations towards a speedy defeat of terror in the region.
Countries in the Lake Chad Basin had also reconstituted its Multi-National Joint Taskforce to soon begin operations to rein in the terrorists.
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