Jonathan, service chiefs under fire over polls shift

President Goodluck Jonathan and the Service Chiefs came under attack yesterday for weekend’s postponement of the general elections.
The President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief, by the action of the military chiefs who said they could not guarantee security for the exercise, has committed an impeachable offence, All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate Prof. Yemi Osinbajo said.
The military chiefs should resign, rights activist-lawyer Femi Falana said.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Attahiru Jega said the agency was persuaded by the memorandum from security chiefs that they could not guarantee protection for the process. INEC  moved the elections from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11.
Jega said the commission was ready for the elections, but could not ignore the written security advice, which many believe was made up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government to halt the momentum of support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
Expectedly, the PDP has hailed the polls shift as necessary in the nation’s interest, but the APC described the decision as “a major setback for democracy and highly provocative.” It nevertheless urged Nigerians to remain calm.
The United States expressed disappointment with the postponement, especially since Secretary of State John Kerry visited President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari last month to extract a promise of a violence-free poll to be conducted as scheduled.
Kerry said the U.S. is deeply disappointed” by the decision to postpone Nigeria’s presidential election.
“Political interference with the Independent National Electoral Commission is unacceptable, and it is critical that the government not use security concerns as a pretext for impeding the democratic process.
“The international community will be watching closely as the Nigerian government prepares for elections on the newly scheduled dates. The United States underscores the importance of ensuring that there are no further delays,” Kerry said.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged electoral authorities “to take all necessary measures… to exercise their right to vote in a timely manner.”
He added: “This is imperative for ensuring a credible, free and transparent election.
In the statement issued yesterday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and made available by the National Information Officer, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria, Oluseyi Soremekun,  Ki-moon said he had separate telephone conversations with President Jonathan and Gen. Buhari last week during which he reminded them of the need to abide by the Abuja peace accord on non-promotion of violence during the elections.
“The Secretary-General notes the decision of the Nigerian Independent Electoral Commission to postpone the general elections, initially scheduled for 14 February 2015.
“He urges the electoral authorities to take all necessary measures, such as the rapid distribution of the remaining Permanent Voter Cards, to enable all eligible citizens, including those displaced, to exercise their right to vote in a timely manner.  “This is imperative for ensuring a credible, free and transparent election.
“He looks to Nigeria’s authorities to uphold their commitment to ensure a violence-free election and put in place adequate security measures so that citizens across the country are able to exercise their civic duty safely and without fear.
“The Secretary-General hopes that the forthcoming elections will meet the high expectations of the Nigerian people and the international community.
“The successful conduct of these polls would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and enable the country to continue to play a leading role in the promotion of regional peace and security,” he said.
Lagos lawyer Femi Falana said the security chiefs who said they could not guarrantee security for the poll could be tried for treason.
In an open letter yesterday, Falana said: “Since the President could not persuade the National Assembly to pass a resolution for tenure elongation on spurious grounds, the service chiefs allowed themselves to be manipulated to subvert the democratic process. “Thus, by causing the election to be postponed, the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the security chiefs have staged a coup against the Constitution.
“They are liable to be prosecuted for the grave offence of treason at the appropriate time.”
He added: “If the satanic Boko Haram sect is not defeated by the armed forces of the republics of Chad, Cameroon and Niger in the next six weeks, the security chiefs are likely to ask for another postponement of the general elections on the grounds that the operations in the Northeast have not been successfully concluded.
“As such extension cannot be accommodated under the Electoral Act and the Constitution the democratic process may be terminated by the security chiefs to pave the way for the much-touted Interim national government.”
Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko called for the resignation of the service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police for orchestrating the shift in the elections.
The governor said: “All the service chiefs and the IGP should resign now for dereliction of their duties as they have failed the nation and Nigerians.
“The shift in dates was orchestrated by the PDP but the action is just akin to the fruitless efforts of a sinking ship or a dying person.
“They should therefore honourably resign as they could not guarantee safety of Nigerians on election days as their statutory and civic duties.
“How can the Boko Haram and a myriad of security challenges, which have been bedeviling Nigeria for some years be solved in paltry 36 days.
“All of us should be patriotic and pious enough to put Nigeria first above our egocentric and diabolical interests,” Wamakko, urged.
He said the APC and its members were law-abiding; “hence, abhor any acts capable of causing a breach of the peace and unity.”
Gen. Buhari’s running mate  Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said President Jonathan should resign or be impeached for his failure to secure the country.
In a tweet on his handle @Prof Osinbajo, he said “If the president says ‘I’ve lost the capacity to guarantee the security of lives and property’, it’s certainly an impeachable offence.
“If a government needs to put adverts in the (news) papers, to advertise what they’ve done after six years, then there’s a big problem.
“My personal reaction (to the polls shift) was one of disgust. I was disgusted that government chose to be so devious.
“All former Heads of States agreed: if the insurgency is happening in 14 LGAs, surely the elections can go on?
“It’s ironic that in many countries where insurgencies happen,  elections go on, Nigerian troops keep the peace there.
“PVCs collection in Adamawa and Yobe, where there is insurgency, is over 70%.
”We’re becoming accustomed to the impunity of this government. And I think it’s so sad that they would go against the wishes of the people. “
Also speaking on a radio programme monitored in Lagos yesterday, Osinbajo said: “I think it’s so sad that they would go against the wishes of the people.
“There has never been 100 per cent Permanent Voter Card collection. Ekiti and Osun states; less than 60 per cent, all of a sudden, the government is concerned.”
Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi accused the Presidency of “polluting the military” to facilitate the polls shift against the wishes of Nigerians.
“It was apparent that the military and presidency boxed INEC to a tight corner by merchants of retrogression to get the postponement to achieve their devilish motives.
“I believe what we are expected to do as democrats must be those things that would strengthen democracy. For military to be saying that it would overcome insurgency it had failed to curtail in five years. Is that not standing logic on its head? You could see that Nigerians are very unhappy.
“To me, this is more of a civilian coup against democracy because for military to have said that it cannot provide security for INEC top prosecute the election implies that it is hands in gloves with the presidency. This is a travesty and a danger to our democracy.
“Military is a product of Nigeria and not the father of Nigeria and it must do everything to protect this democracy.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) also flayed the polls shift.
ASUU President Dr Nasir Fagge told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the security issue which the shifting of the polls was predicated on, was not sufficient.
He expressed doubt if the six weeks extension would be enough to tackle the security issue.
“However, if the election umpire has been convinced enough to have the elections postponed, especially as it concerns security, then let us give them the benefit of doubt.
“All I can say at this point is to call on Nigerians to organise themselves very well and keep their eyes open.
“I also want to seize this opportunity to appeal to them to use this period to ensure that they collect their voter cards and ensure that they do not only vote but also ensure that their votes count,” Dr. Fagge said.
TUC President Bobboi Bala Kaigama described the
postponement as “a great setback capable of truncating the country’s frail peace.
The Congress urged Nigerians to remain calm and desist from violence.
“We therefore charge the security agencies to put their acts together to return the country to the path of peace devoid of security challenges that may serve as another set of excuses for further postponement. The national institutions must not be trivialised on the altar of politics.
”We wish to reiterate that the swearing in date (May 29) is sacrosanct to avoid plunging the country into constitutional crisis,” TUC said.

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