Jega rules out further poll postponement, says 6 weeks extension useful to INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday ruled out any further postponement of the rescheduled general elections slated for March 28 and April 11 respectively.
The INEC chairman stated this during an interactive session with the Civil Society Situation Room, a coalition of over 60 civil society organisations, in Abuja.
Jega declared that the Commission is fully prepared for the exercise, adding that 11 states out of the 36 states have so far achieved over 90 per cent Permanent Voter Cards collection.
The Commission, he stated, has put to good use the six weeks extension of the polls.
“We are now adequately prepared for the elections, which have been rescheduled to March 28 and April 11.
“And I want to say that I’ve not seen any indication from anywhere that there is a desire for another postponement of this election.
“So, we are all focused on March 28 and April 11.
“Soon after we announced the rescheduling of the elections, the Commission met and decided on how best to utilise this period of extension for six weeks.
“We decided that the first thing to do was to do a field assessment.
“If people snatch card readers, it is sufficient grounds to cancel elections in those places,” the INEC boss stated.
Jega revealed that in the mock elections conducted across 12 states of the Federation, “no card reader has failed”.
While commenting on the liberated towns recaptured from Boko Haram vis-a-vis the possibility of conducting elections in those places, the INEC Chairman said: “We have received assurances from the security agencies that they are doing everything that is possible to provide security.
“We are pleased with the reports that there has been remarkable improvement of security in the areas of insurgency and we understand that there are only three local governments in Borno State that have not been totally cleared of the insurgency.
“But we also know that the insurgents are very desperate and a lot of bombings and using incendiary devices have been happening even though in isolated places.
“And we are working very closely with security agencies to ensure that measures are in place to check this and ensure that they do not disrupt the electoral process.”
On the issue of Internally Displaced Persons voting during the polls, Jega said arrangements are in place to ensure that.
He said: “We have plans to arrange voting for IDPs.
“The plans are still on the ground.
“We have said that in areas where people have moved back and it is confirmed that it is safe, then it is better for us to go back to the Polling Units there and organise the elections.
“And we have tasked our Resident Electoral Commissioners to make that assessment now.
“But we know that in many cases, IDPs are not going back.
“So, if there is still people in IDP camps and are not going back, we will do the elections as we have planned in the designated places for the IDPs.”