Main PageSecurity Chiefs Put Pressure On Me To Shift Polls – Jega
The Chairman of the Independent National
Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on
Saturday said he is under intense pressure to shift
the February 14presidential election by six weeks
in the first instance.
Jega told representatives of the Civil Societies at a
meeting in Abuja that he had received a letter
from those at the helms of the country's security
agencies that their concerns now is to defeat the
Boko Haram insurgency and not to provide
security for elections.
The Civil Societies however advised INEC to resist
the pressure.
The statement reads:
"The NIGERIA Civil Society Situation Room
(Situation Room) this afternoon, Saturday, 7th
February 2015 met with the Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) and with all of its 12 National
Commissioners in attendance.
"At the meeting, INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru
Jega, conveyed that he had received a letter
from the security services advising that he
postpones 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 letter
the Military was demanding a rescheduling of
elections by at least 6wks in the first instance.
"Situation room 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 Situation Room calls 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.
"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 Civil Society
Organisations (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,
Wangonet, Partners for Electoral Reform and
Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth &
Advancement (YIAGA). Others are Development
Dynamics, Human Rights Monitor, Election
Monitor, Reclaim Naija, Institute for Human Rights
and Humanitarian Law, CITAD, CISLAC and several
other CSOs numbering more than Sixty."
http://theeagleonline.com.ng/security-chiefs-put-
pressure-on-me-to-shift-polls-jega/
Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on
Saturday said he is under intense pressure to shift
the February 14presidential election by six weeks
in the first instance.
Jega told representatives of the Civil Societies at a
meeting in Abuja that he had received a letter
from those at the helms of the country's security
agencies that their concerns now is to defeat the
Boko Haram insurgency and not to provide
security for elections.
The Civil Societies however advised INEC to resist
the pressure.
The statement reads:
"The NIGERIA Civil Society Situation Room
(Situation Room) this afternoon, Saturday, 7th
February 2015 met with the Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) and with all of its 12 National
Commissioners in attendance.
"At the meeting, INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru
Jega, conveyed that he had received a letter
from the security services advising that he
postpones 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 letter
the Military was demanding a rescheduling of
elections by at least 6wks in the first instance.
"Situation room 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 Situation Room calls 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.
"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 Civil Society
Organisations (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,
Wangonet, Partners for Electoral Reform and
Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth &
Advancement (YIAGA). Others are Development
Dynamics, Human Rights Monitor, Election
Monitor, Reclaim Naija, Institute for Human Rights
and Humanitarian Law, CITAD, CISLAC and several
other CSOs numbering more than Sixty."
http://theeagleonline.com.ng/security-chiefs-put-
pressure-on-me-to-shift-polls-jega/
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