Jega Insists On Election Dates

The plan by the Goodluck Jonathan administration to extend the
date of the elections have collapsed as the Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor
Attahiru Jega, has refused to postpone the forthcoming polls.
Jega told the Council of State meeting today that the
commission is ready to conduct the polls. The Coucil of State
meeting comprises of the president and state governors, former
presidents, service chiefs and the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
L:R: Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Ernest Shonekan,
Abdusalami Abubakar
According to News Rescue, the INEC boss however complained
that the Military is not cooperative.
There were media reports earlier that suggests the
postponement of this month's general elections may be
discussed at the Council of State meeting convened by
President Goodluck Jonathan today.
PM News reports that the meeting has officially ended and the
elections will go on as scheduled.
According to Punch, the meeting lasted for seven hours. The
council then advised INEC to go ahead and perform its
constitutional responsibility of conducting the 2015 elections as
scheduled.
Briefing State House Correspondents, Governor Rochas
Okorocha of Imo State said INEC told the council that it was
ready for the conduct of the election.
He said security chiefs also expressed their readiness but
raised concerns about some local governments currently under
the control of the Boko Haram sect.
The implication, he said, is that elections will not hold in the
affected areas.
However, in a tone different from that of his Imo State
counterpart, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State said the
council advised INEC to consider all the inputs made during the
meeting with a view to taking a decision it will announce to
Nigerians later.
Meanwhile, Chief Edwin Clark, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and Chief
Femi Okunrounmu just addressed a press conference in Abuja
calling for the arrest of Prof Attahiru Jega for refusing to
postpone the 2015 general election
Earlier today, opposition party, All Progressives Congress
called upon members of the council not to allow selfish and
narrow interests to make them change the date of the elections.
Meanwhile, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has
accused the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) of conniving with the APC to deny non-indigenes in
Lagos State their Permanent Voter Cards.