National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki,rtd
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
For the NSA, his advisory statement paid off. Many may have, before now, accused him of being too silent on the seeming security situation in the country. But his recent trip to London proved that he could at least speak. Read about the shock wave that flashed through the camp of the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, following the postponement of the general elections, which would have commenced yesterday, by the independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at the early hours of Sunday, last week.
Courtesy of the trip, the frenzy on the political terrain suddenly reduced. Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the National Security Adviser, NSA, to President Goodluck Jonathan must have been basking in some euphoria of victory since last Sunday.
On January 22, in faraway London, he literally assumed the position of the spokesperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, when he told the whole world that Nigeria’s general elections, scheduled to hold February 14 and 28, were an illusion. His reason was that INEC would disenfranchise many Nigerians who were yet to collect their permanent voter cards, PVCs, should it go ahead with the elections.
Were the idea to be canvassed by an ordinary Nigerian, it would have been dismissed with a wave of the hand. But coming from a presidential aide, many seriously thought it had some ulterior motive and so, stood stoutly against it.
But the Dasuki statement on a foreign soil ignited some fire back home such that as the campaigns peaked, some individuals and groups loyal to the Presidency still found time to further push the issue.
Obviously, it surprised many people that the NSA veered off from security issues which should have been his utmost priority to meddle into concerns that were purely INEC’s, even when the whereabouts of the Chibok girls, who have been missing since April 2014, have not been established.
Then, amid the growing tensions that engulfed the nation over the polls, President Goodluck Jonathan summoned the Council of State meeting. Expectedly, the issue came up with the Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, in attendance to brief the Council on his commission’s level of preparedness. Accordingly, the NSA also made a presentation but this time, it was not on the PVCs but security. Another conspiracy? Though Council noted his concerns, they weren’t considered weighty enough to compel it to endorse the postponement of the elections.
To this end, the opposition party and indeed many Nigerians were thankful to the Council and believed that the elections would hold as slated.
But the NSA allegedly went to work again, seemingly pushing a plan B. It paid off and the outcome was INEC’s address to Nigerians and indeed the world in the early hours of last Sunday that elections would not eventually hold this month. New dates were given: March 28 and April 11.
But the NSA allegedly went to work again, seemingly pushing a plan B. It paid off and the outcome was INEC’s address to Nigerians and indeed the world in the early hours of last Sunday that elections would not eventually hold this month. New dates were given: March 28 and April 11.
The reason adduced for the postponement was ludicrous to some people. For the first time in the history of the nation, the military and other security agencies unanimously shifted their primary responsibility of ensuring simultaneous security at every part of the country. They told Jega that they would not be on the ground to provide security for the elections fixed for this month over year ago. Reference point was the North-east where insurgency is thick and pervasive. Yet, for the first time in a six-week timeline, they promised to launch a “sting operation” that would flush out the fiery insurgents and so, elections would have to wait. May God help them and bless them as they fight to protect Nigeria. But even as the promise subsists, many people, especially the opposition, sensed some foul play. But the authorities had spoken.
How APC received news of polls shift
Obviously, they saw it coming but couldn’t do much to stop it. All they could do was to bark and bark. They had wanted the elections to hold as earlier proposed. And so, upon the insinuations that the Council of State meeting, held Thursday, February 5, may be swayed to give its nod for the glowingly rumored shift, the APC raised the alarm, urging the Council to resist every move from the presidency to approve it.
Obviously, they saw it coming but couldn’t do much to stop it. All they could do was to bark and bark. They had wanted the elections to hold as earlier proposed. And so, upon the insinuations that the Council of State meeting, held Thursday, February 5, may be swayed to give its nod for the glowingly rumored shift, the APC raised the alarm, urging the Council to resist every move from the presidency to approve it.
The party’s National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, said: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) is aware that the Presidency may attempt to drag members of the Council of State into its efforts to postpone the elections during the scheduled meeting of the Council on Thursday, February 5. 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 national assets in leaders.
“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.”
APC shocked
Apparently shocked by the elections postponement, APC addressed a press conference. Led by its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, the party, however, appealed for calm. It also warned that this would be the last time for any shift.
Apparently shocked by the elections postponement, APC addressed a press conference. Led by its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, the party, however, appealed for calm. It also warned that this would be the last time for any shift.
“Following the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the 2015 general elections by six weeks, I wish to appeal for utmost restraint and calm by all Nigerians, especially the teeming supporters of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)”, Buhari said.
File: APC chieftains with Obasanjo during Buhari’s presidential campaign to Abeokuta.
“This postponement, which comes on the heels of the bogey of the National Security Adviser that half of the registered voters were being disenfranchised was exposed as a crude and fraudulent attempt to subvert the electoral process. The PDP administration has now engineered a postponement using the threat that security will not be guaranteed across the length and breadth of Nigeria because of military engagement in some states in the North East.
“It is important to note that although INEC acted within its constitutional powers, it is clear that it has been boxed into a situation where it has had to bow to pressure. Thus, the independence of INEC has been gravely compromised.”
On Monday, the APC National Chairman, Oyegun, addressed another press conference where he alleged an alliance between the Presidency and the military to rig the elections.
He said: “We are aware that the Presidency has forwarded a secret memo to all commanders of divisions and battalions of Nigerian Army for a three-day strategy meeting in Kaduna from today on how to use the military to intimidate voters in APC states to rig election in favour of President Jonathan.
“We are all witnesses to the way INEC was intimidated into postponement of the elections despite repeated assurances of its readiness. We are aware of plans for worse intimidation in the days ahead. We are aware of plans to intimidate and orchestrate arrest of our leaders across the country on frivolous grounds.
“We have strong suspicions but hope this postponement is not part of an agenda to create a constitutional crisis in the country. We are just recently recovering from the crisis precipitated by the political crisis of 1993. We cannot afford another.”
Other APC chieftains reacts
A visit to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday revealed that most members of APC were not happy with the elections postponement. They alleged that it was a plot to sap the party financially as it has had to spend so much resources on the campaigns.
A few of them who spoke, however, said that victory was theirs irrespective of how long the polls are delayed. Excerpts:
A visit to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday revealed that most members of APC were not happy with the elections postponement. They alleged that it was a plot to sap the party financially as it has had to spend so much resources on the campaigns.
A few of them who spoke, however, said that victory was theirs irrespective of how long the polls are delayed. Excerpts:
I feel so bad—Senator Shuibu Lawal, National Deputy Chairman, North
I feel bad because Nigerian people feel bad. And what they succeeded in doing is dashing the hopes of Nigerian who are prepared to express their opinion through the ballot.
I feel bad because Nigerian people feel bad. And what they succeeded in doing is dashing the hopes of Nigerian who are prepared to express their opinion through the ballot.
So, by large and large, since they have said it and it has come to be accepted, so be it. But the 28th must be sacrosanct. But actually, the shift is giving us, the apc more sympathy from the public than any other party.
This is one way to rig elections—Idi Farouk, Former Director-General, National Orientation Agency?
There are one thousand and one ways of rigging elections and this is one way of wanting to rig elections believing that we shall be weary and our campaign resources will finish. But I can tell you that we have not even touched our resources. We have are building on our resources which are the people. And the people are solidly behind us. So, it doesn’t matter how long they move it. We are still sure of our victory and come May 29, Isha Allah, General Buhari will be the president of Nigeria. That is what the people want. It doesn’t matter how many times they shift the election. But like you know, the party and general Buhari himself have called for restraints. One thing I want to assure those people who are tampering with the election is that general Buhari will not be in a position to stop the aftermath of another tampering of the election dates.
There are one thousand and one ways of rigging elections and this is one way of wanting to rig elections believing that we shall be weary and our campaign resources will finish. But I can tell you that we have not even touched our resources. We have are building on our resources which are the people. And the people are solidly behind us. So, it doesn’t matter how long they move it. We are still sure of our victory and come May 29, Isha Allah, General Buhari will be the president of Nigeria. That is what the people want. It doesn’t matter how many times they shift the election. But like you know, the party and general Buhari himself have called for restraints. One thing I want to assure those people who are tampering with the election is that general Buhari will not be in a position to stop the aftermath of another tampering of the election dates.
PDP has shot itself in the foot—Chief Sampson Akiga
My take is just the same as what the American government’s reaction was. They said the government has just succeeded in shooting itself in the foot. This is a process you cannot stop. The wind of change is blowing in the country and everybody is ready to take off. You can’t stop it. So, they just have to prepare themselves for an election. They are not ready.
My take is just the same as what the American government’s reaction was. They said the government has just succeeded in shooting itself in the foot. This is a process you cannot stop. The wind of change is blowing in the country and everybody is ready to take off. You can’t stop it. So, they just have to prepare themselves for an election. They are not ready.
Bottom line
Whichever way it is viewed, the postponement was sad news. Even Jonathan, in his last Wednesday’s presidential media chat, confirmed that he felt bad over the issue because he had spent time, money and energy traversing the length and breadth of the country. Perhaps, if he knew, he would have waited a little longer before commencing the campaigns. But the President’s regrets may not be anywhere close to the the feelings of the opposition who is fighting from outside. In fact, their impression is that the PDP-led government deliberately wanted to weaken them financially with the postponement. But while this goes, there is some piece of good news. The good news is that both the NSA and the President have repeatedly said that May 29, 2015: The remains the handover date. That means that whether the “sting operation” holds or not, elections would hold on the rescheduled dates as any further shift would affect the constitutional limit on elections. Would the authorities give heed to their words? Would the missing Chibok girls be found in the remaining five weeks? Would INEC achieve 100 percent distribution of the PVCs? Would the elections eventually hold? The questions are a legion but all eyes are now on both Jonathan and the chief advocate of election shift, Dasuki, the NSA.
Whichever way it is viewed, the postponement was sad news. Even Jonathan, in his last Wednesday’s presidential media chat, confirmed that he felt bad over the issue because he had spent time, money and energy traversing the length and breadth of the country. Perhaps, if he knew, he would have waited a little longer before commencing the campaigns. But the President’s regrets may not be anywhere close to the the feelings of the opposition who is fighting from outside. In fact, their impression is that the PDP-led government deliberately wanted to weaken them financially with the postponement. But while this goes, there is some piece of good news. The good news is that both the NSA and the President have repeatedly said that May 29, 2015: The remains the handover date. That means that whether the “sting operation” holds or not, elections would hold on the rescheduled dates as any further shift would affect the constitutional limit on elections. Would the authorities give heed to their words? Would the missing Chibok girls be found in the remaining five weeks? Would INEC achieve 100 percent distribution of the PVCs? Would the elections eventually hold? The questions are a legion but all eyes are now on both Jonathan and the chief advocate of election shift, Dasuki, the NSA.
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