22 Years After June 12 Crisis, Nigeria On The Brink Again | MKO Abiola

Strong indications emerged last night that the country’s journey towards a virile, democratic dispensation may be heading for the rocks as President Goodluck Jonathan is set announce the postponement of the much-awaited 2015 general elections during a historic meeting of the National Council of State in Abuja today. The elections were billed to take place on February 14 and 28.

This is coming 22 years after the June 12, 1993, political crisis which plunged the country into decades of political and economic retardation following the annulment of the general election won by the late philanthropist, MKO Abiola.

The president’s move is contrary to public opinion and the desires of the majority of Nigerians who have been gearing up to exercise theirfundamental right to freely choose their leaders.

A source confided in LEADERSHIP last night that the service chiefs would be called upon to declare that they could not guarantee public safety during the polls.

It was further gathered that some former heads of state who have long-standing personal grudges against the APC presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari, would either vote for the postponement of the poll or be indifferent. Former heads of state are statutorily members of the National Council of State.

LEADERSHIP gathered last night that plans were afoot to strip INEC top officials of their security cover and also to withdraw security cover for the elections.

INEC, which, according to the constitution, is the only body given the powers to announce changes on election dates, has insisted that it is prepared to go ahead with the poll.

Prominent human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, said yesterday that it was illegal for any other authority apart from INEC to announce any changes in polling dates.

Our correspondent gathered that APC governors, who had hitherto shunned previous Council of State meetings, had arrived in Abuja in preparation for a showdown with the proponents of polls shift.

In response to the likelihood of the government withdrawing security cover for the polls, one APC governor said yesterday that, “that might even be a welcome development, considering how maliciously soldiers have been used in past elections in this country.”

LEADERSHIP’s correspondent in Washington also learnt that the White House in the US is meeting over Nigeria’s situation today while the International Criminal Court (ICC) and international election observers are on ground to monitor the situation.

The situation has also taken a new dimension as pressure is being mounted on the INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, from the government and even within INEC, to resign.

His tenure will expire in June, this year.

In June 1993, after former military president Ibrahim Babangida cancelled the result of the election on the grounds of purported irregularities and a court ruling, the country was thrown into widespread chaos, set off by public feeling that it was the freest and fairest election so far.

Observers expressed the fear last night that the country could be headed towards another major crisis, with the opposition saying the only reason why the PDP wants to postpone the poll is because its rigging machine had been exposed and it was afraid of losing.

A day to the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, a faceless group, the Association for Better Nigeria (ABN), secured an injunction restraining the National Electoral Commission (NEC) from going ahead with the poll.

But NEC boss Prof Humphrey Nwosu ignored the court injunction and proceeded with the conduct of the poll.

The late MKO Abiola was coasting home to victory in most parts of the country when the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida directed the electoral umpire to suspend the announcement of the results.

Jonathan set to announce postponement of polls

There are strong indications that President Goodluck Jonathan may today announce the postponement of the forthcoming general elections barely two weeks to its conduct.

The Council of State, at its sitting today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, it was gathered, has concluded plans to ratify the postponement being clamoured for in certain quarters.

An impeccable source close the body revealed late last night that members of the body had been communicating at individual levels on the possible polls shift, stressing that today’s meeting would only be a formality to ratify the postponement.

He said: ‘‘The reasons are not what I can disclose to you fully, but you should know the Council of State has the interest of the nation at heart. I think their major concerned is the issue of security. We know what is happening in the North East; we know how many people have been displaced.

“You also have the issue with the preparation of the INEC. So many eligible voters have not collected their voter cards, and you know the implication’’.

When asked when the elections would now be held, he stated that ‘it may be around June; that will be discussed tomorrow. The tension is being heightened. You see the gladiators and their supporters making all sorts of threats. This country is bigger than any individual or group. This house must not fall.’’

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC), at a press conference earlier yesterday, said it was aware of plans by the presidency to drag members of the Council of State into an alleged plot to postpone the general elections.

The party added that the Council of State members would be cajoled to buy into the elections postponement idea during the scheduled meeting of the Council today at the Villa.

The revelation was made by the APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, during a world press conference. The party therefore advised Council members not to be party to attempts to derail the democratic process of the country.

“Members of the Council of State are Nigerians who are held in very high esteem, and their involvement in a project that damages the democratic process will be a serious disservice to our leaders as national assets.

“Our party is encouraged by the fact that INEC has restated in clear and unambiguous terms its determination and ability to conduct the elections as planned. It is the constitutional prerogative of INEC to set election dates which, nonetheless, should meet at least the minimum threshold of

confidence.

“We recognize that it had challenges but these are challenges that have been or are being seriously tackled by the Commission, and the engineered clamour for postponement is not helping the situation,” Oyegun said.

He added that attempts to rubbish INEC’s preparations in order to achieve a postponement are, according to him, being seen for what they are: “a desperate ploy by the PDP administration to avoid certain electoral defeat.

“These are part of the PDP script to deny Nigerians their right to choose their leaders on the 14th and 28th of February.”

APC said it had faith in the members of the Council of State, and advised them not to become tools in the hand of an administration that wants to subvert our fragile democratic process.”

Allegation baseless – PDP

PDP national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, however said, the allegation made by the APC was baseless.

While speaking with reporters on the telephone, he said, “We will not glorify APC by joining issues with them on this matter. For now, our focus is on issues-based campaign towards the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, so that he can continue to deliver the good for Nigerians.”

Presidency keeps mum

All efforts to get the presidency to react to the alleged plot to shift the general polls to June in today’s council of state meeting were futile.

Calls and text messages sent to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, were not returned.

In the same vein, the mobile phone number of Senior Special Assistant to the president on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, did not go through.

INEC refutes reports over postponement of elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied reports that it plans to postpone the forthcoming general elections if the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) remains low by Sunday, the deadline for the exercise.

The electoral body was reacting to a report by a foreign medium, Reuters, which quoted a national commissioner as saying that the elections may be delayed if the number of PVCs collected by voters is too low.

However, a rebuttal by the INEC chairman’s spokesman, Kayode Idowu, reads:”I write to refute your story in Reuters attributing national commissioner of INEC, Amina Zakari, as saying that the 2015 general elections may be delayed if the number of PVCs collected by voters is too low’’.

Falana: Council of State lacks power on Polls Shift

Lagos lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN) has said the Council of State lacks competence and constitutional power to decide whether or not INEC should conduct election.

In a statement he issued last night to pre-empt the outcome of the council’s meeting billed to hold today following speculations that the primary agenda of the meeting is to discuss postponement of the forthcoming general polls, Falana insisted that only INEC had the exclusive right to fix date for election.

He said, “With respect to INEC, the Council may advise the president in the exercise of his powers to appoint the chairman of the INEC, the national commissioners and the resident electoral commissioners.

“Since the power of organizing and conducting the general election, including the fixing of dates for the election, is the exclusive responsibility of INEC; the Council of State is not competent to advise the president or direct the INEC to postpone the general elections.”

Defining the role of the council, Falana noted that the council was one of the federal executive bodies established by Section 153(1) of the Constitution and vested with the power to advise the president in the exercise of his powers with respect to the national population census and compilation; publications and keeping of records and other information concerning the same.

He listed other areas the council advises the president to include prerogative of mercy, award of honours, INEC, the National Judicial Council, the National Population Commission and to advise the president “whenever requested to do so on the maintenance of public order within the federal or any part thereof and on such other matters as the president may direct”.