The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said he would not resign his position.
Jega, at a question and answer question on Saturday after he confirmed Match 28 and April 11, 2015 as the new dates for the country’s general election, said he was not under pressure to resign.
He said the news about his resignation was a conspiracy theory, adding that there was no grounds for it.
He said contrary to reports in the media accusing him of having met and was working with some Northern groups in order to favour the North in the upcoming elections, he has not met with anyone.
He said: “The media should do a through work.
“I would have gone to court, but the work we do here has kept me very busy.”
He said there was no crime in serving one’s fatherland.
Jega said 26 out of the country’s 28 registered political parties were at the meeting the Commission had with the representatives of political parties before arriving at the decision to postpone the elections.
He said the Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Commission were also consulted, adding: “We had sufficient consultation to be able to arrive at the conclusion reached.”
Asked if INEC consulted with the leadership of the National Assembly, Jega said the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, were at the NCS meeting where the Commission was advised to consult further.
One the success rate of the distribution of the PVCs in North East, Jega said it was high.
He said for Borno State, collection rate 68.28 per cent; Gombe, 78 per cent; Adamawa, 80 per cent; and Yobe, 78 per cent.
Making specific reference to Adamawa State, Jega said PVCs have also been distributed to Internally displaced Persons already placed in camps.
He, however, said the shift in date gives time to further perfect plans to deal with the IDPs.
He said the Commission was not being forced to take the decision to shift the elections, adding: “Either way, there will be consequences.
“We may not be able to satisfy everybody.
“So many people will be angry with the decision.
“But somebody must take the decision.
“And it is our lot to take that decision.
“There is no guarantee of security for the over 700,000 personnel to be used for the elections.
“Nobody has coharsed us, nobody has forced us to take the decision.
“It is the right decision to take.
Jega said the Commission will be relying on the security agencies for a successful election and that since they have requested for at least six weeks for there to be sufficient improvement in the security, “we should keep hope alive.
“What we cannot do is to contemplate shifting elections beyond the constitutional timeframe.”
Jega said the Commission will use the extended time to build on what has been done.
He said INEC will ensure that as many Nigerians as possible will collect their cards between now and then.
He added: “By the extension, it will show that anyone who does not collect his or her card is really not interested in collecting it.
“The problem is not distribution.
“It is collection.”
Jega said 96 per cent of cards had been produced and delivered to states, but that only about 66 per cent of eligible voters have so far collected theirs.
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