Anxiety As Jega Decides Polls Date 5pm Today

There is anxiety in the country as Nigerians wait for the Independent National Electoral Commission to speak on whether it will go ahead with its earlier timetable or pick new dates for the elections.

The earlier dates indicated that the Presidential and National Assembly elections are to be held on February 14 while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections are to follow two weeks later.

Chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, is to address a press conference at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja today by 5pm.

The press conference will come up after he must have met with chairmen and secretaries of all registered political parties.

He would also have met with the Resident Electoral Commissioners of all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Some observers believe that the commission is being blackmailed to shift the scheduled dates in order to provide ample time for those who have initiated court cases against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), to conclude their cases seeking to stop the ex-head of state from contesting the poll.

The cases include those questioning his qualification to the contest the presidential election, and those demanding Buhari’s prosecution on the ground that he allegedly lied under oath as well as forgery.