Any further vote delay ‘unconstitutional': Jega

A further postponement of Nigeria’s general
elections beyond the rescheduled polling day of
March 28 would be “unconstitutional”, INEC boss,
Attahiru Jega, said on Wednesday. “I don’t see
how anybody can contemplate any extension
beyond these six weeks because there is no
constitutional grounds on which you can do that,”
Jega said
in
testimony
to
the
Senate.
Jega
told
the
chamber
that
INEC
was
prepared to hold the vote on the original polling
day, February 14, but was persuaded to support a
delay by guidance from the country’s security
chiefs. National Security Advisor Sambo Dasuki
and military top brass said soldiers would not be
able provide election security nationwide because
they were fighting Boko Haram in the northeast.
Asked how he would respond if the security
agencies requested a further delay, Jega referred to
a constitutional provision that requires elections to
be concluded at least 30 days before May 29,
when a new government must be sworn in. “Every
Nigerian knows we want elections to hold… within
a constitutional timeframe,” he told senators.
“The security agencies are (made up of) patriotic
Nigerians. Let’s give them the benefit of the
doubt.” But he added that a further delay “will only
have to be unconstitutional and I don’t see how
anybody can contemplate unconstitutional things”.
There were widespread accusations that the
military pushed for the delay to allow President
Goodluck Jonathan more time to revive his
struggling re-election campaign. Experts say he is
facing a tough test against Muhammadu Buhari
with the vote likely too close to call.