- Edwin Clark calls for Jega’s arrest
NewsRescue
Despite an emergency “council of state” meeting summoned by president Goodluck Jonathan in the hopes of saving his job by postponing the presidential elections slated for February the 14th, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC chairman Attahiru Jega has refused to delay the polls, saying his agency is ready.
This comes as a serious blow to president Jonathan who is almost certainly going to lose if the elections are held on schedule.
The only reason a shift is being pushed is to allow the president and ruling party the chance to set some things right and try to recover; that aside, Nigeria is ready to go to the polls. A shift to allow a party some grace is unheard of in electoral history.
Attahiru Jega has however complained that the Military is not cooperative. We have published several articles on the ruling party manipulating the military to be partisan.
International observers have arrived Nigeria on schedule and Nigerians continue to prepare to go to the polls on 14th February.
Meanwhile All Progressives Congress, APC-led states have declared two public holidays to allow citizens retrieve their PVC cards.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the polls will hold on February 14th and February 28th as scheduled.
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Update: Edwin Clark calls for Jega’s arrest
In apparent desperation, Edwin Clark, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and Chief Femi Okunrounmu just reportedly addressed a press conference In Abuja calling for the arrest Of INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega for refusing to postpone the 2015 general elections.
Stay tuned for details…
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Update–PremiumTimes: National Council of States insists elections must go on as scheduled
by Talatu Usman
The National Council of States meeting called to discuss issues about the the nation’s security challenges and the forthcoming elections has ended.
At the end of the eight-hour meeting, members insisted the general elections must proceed as scheduled, reporters were told.
Members also agreed that elections could be postponed in troubled zones — areas ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Nigerians, and indeed the international community, had watched out for the outcome of the meeting all day given the alleged plot by government to force INEC to shift the elections.
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State told reporters after the meeting that INEC assured the Council it was ready to conduct the elections and that the distribution of the permanent voter cards was going well.
Mr. Okorocha said the nation’s security chiefs also said they were ready for the elections but raised concern about the possibility of elections holding in areas under the control of Boko haram insurgents.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State however later told journalists that the council advised INEC to reflect over the concerns raised by members and the suggestion made by those who spoke in taking a decision that would allow for the conduct of smooth elections.
President Goodluck Jonathan presided over the meeting, where national issues bordering on the nation’s security and the elections were deliberated upon.
All former Presidents and Heads of State — Shehu Shagari, Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Interim National Government President Ernest Shonekan — except Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, attended the meeting.
Other participants were Senate President, David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, and former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Musdafa Belgore.
Governors of Anambra, Kogi, Katsina, Kano, Osun, Imo, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Niger, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kwara, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Cross River, Enugu and Delta states were also in attendance.
Also present were Governors of Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Jigawa, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, acting governor of Taraba while Abia, Oyo and Borno were represented by their deputy governors.
The National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), FCT Minister Bala Muhammed and the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation Mohammed Adoke also attended.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, [INEC], Attahiru Jega, and the nation’s security chiefs made presentation to the meeting, which started around 11.56 a.m. and ended after 7.pm.
