The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has urged the Independent National<\/p>\n
Electoral Commission, INEC to utilize the six weeks postponement of the
\n2015 elections to ensure adequate distributions of Personal Voters Card,
\nPVC’s to eligible voters.<\/p>\n
NBA in a press statement signed by Augustine Alegeh, President of NBA,
\nargued that while INEC cannot conduct elections in isolation of the
\nSecurity agencies, the postponement falls within the constitution of
\nNigeria.<\/p>\n
The Statement reads:<\/p>\n
The Nigerian Bar Association notes the decision of INEC to postpone the
\n2015 General Elections by six [6] weeks in the light of the security
\nadvisory received from the Security Agencies that the required security
\npersonnel are engaged in a military operation against Boko Haram and will
\nnot be available to protect Electoral materials and staff if the elections
\nwere held on 14th and 28th February, 2015 as originally scheduled.<\/p>\n
The security advisory left INEC with no other option than to postpone the
\nelections. INEC can certainly not be expected to proceed with the
\nelections without the required security support. The new dates of 28th
\nMarch and 11th April, 2015 fixed by INEC fall within the timeline provided
\nin the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 [as amended]
\nCFRN.<\/p>\n
We advise INEC to utilize the said six [6] week period to resolve the
\nchallenges surrounding the issuance of Permanent Voter\u2019s Cards [PVCs].
\nThere are still about 20 million PVCs yet to be collected by Voters while
\nsome PVCs are still being produced and\/or awaiting delivery at this time.
\nWe restate our call on INEC, to request the Federal Government of Nigeria
\n[FGN] to declare a minimum of two [2] work free days to enable voters
\ncollect their PVCs from their polling stations. INEC should also ensure
\nthat PVCs are produced for all voters whose names appear in the Voters\u2019
\nRegister. PVCs are central to the success of the 2015 General Elections
\nand INEC must apply its best endeavours to ensure that all problems in
\nrespect of PVCs are resolved well before the 28th of March, 2015. Our
\nentire democratic experience depends on the success of the 2015 General
\nElections and INEC must ensure that everything necessary is put in place
\nfor a successful 2015 General Elections.<\/p>\n
The NBA also notes that the Security Advisory relied upon by INEC in
\npostponing the 2015 General Elections indicates that Nigerian security
\nforces are aggressively combating the Boko Haram insurgency and expect to
\ntotally eliminate the insurgents and secure the North Eastern States of
\nNigeria, that have taken the brunt of the insurgents\u2019 attacks, in the next
\nsix [6] weeks.<\/p>\n
The NBA hopes that this security advisory is not just to provide basis for
\npostponing the elections as is being suggested in certain quarters, but
\nrepresents the true and correct position of our security forces in their
\nefforts to rid our Country of the Boko Haram insurgency. We await a
\npositive and successful outcome of the security forces onslaught against
\nBoko Haram as indicated in the security advisory.<\/p>\n
Our security agencies must understand the disappointment of several groups
\nwho have expressed their reservations on the postponement of the elections
\nas a result of the security advisory. The task before our security forces
\nnow is to deal decisively with the Boko Haram insurgency to resolve any
\nlingering doubts about the good faith of the security advisory. If indeed
\nthe Boko Haram menace is routed in the next six [6] weeks all Nigerians
\nwill then appreciate and celebrate our security forces.<\/p>\n
Dated 7th February, 2015<\/p>\n
AUGUSTINE O. ALEGEH, SAN FCIArb PRESIDENT NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to utilize the six weeks postponement of the 2015 elections to ensure adequate distributions of Personal Voters…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n