A mild tussle ensued on Wednesday at a special briefing in
Washington DC when members of an American pre-election mission disputed
claims by two Nigerian security chiefs that their delegation endorsed
postponement of the elections.
Giving updates on preparations for the re-scheduled elections,
Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Director-General of the National Intelligence
Agency, and Rear-Admiral Gabriel E. Okoi, Director of Defence
Intelligence, said the Nigerian government has overcome most of the
security and logistic problems that led to the postponement of the
election.
Mr. Oke said the election delay was occasioned by incidences of
criminal violence, widespread tension and Boko Haram insurgency, which
were occurring in tandem with considerable shortfall in the electoral
calendar.
“INEC was having challenges with regards to the distribution of
permanent voter cards (PVCs)”, he said, “while another important tool,
the card reader machine were not fully yet tested and deployed” across
the country.
Speaking on the insurgency, Mr. Okoi confirmed that Boko Haram
effectively controlled 14 local government areas in the run-up to
February 14, the day elections were scheduled to commence.
The terrorists’ threat virtually preempted any form of electoral activity in the occupied areas, the intelligence chiefs said.
“Consequently INEC, after robust consultation with key stakeholders,
deferred the elections by six weeks in accordance with constitutional
provisions”
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