The Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) said the reason given for the shift in this month’s elections to March and April was untenable. “Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has exercised its constitutional powers in shifting the February polls, Nigeria’s defence and security institutions have not convinced Nigerians that they have the capability to curb the Boko Haram insurgency and it remains to be seen that they now possess new tactics and intelligence on how to curb it,” the group stated.
In a statement signed by Kunle Famoriyo, publicity secretary of the group, stated: “it is difficult to see how a six-year menace will disappear in six weeks. Indeed, the events of the past few weeks lend credence to a pervasive public opinion that INEC was coerced into its adopted position. “Nigerians were not particularly surprised at the postponement and many actually saw it coming. There is no doubt an ‘executive coercion’ whose design and intent can only be to subjugate Nigeria’s premier democratic institution, and until the security chiefs are able to advance believable reasons and demonstrate renewed commitment to their constitutional duty, Nigerians will remain suspicious of a premeditated plan to subvert democratic process”.
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ARG noted the public perception that the defence institutions are being used to forcefully gain partisan ambition is widening and the current federal administration appears not to give a damn. According to the statement, “In fact, security chiefs are helping to reinforce this perception, in the light of recent revelation on Ekiti gubernatorial election, and it can only lead to truncation of democracy. “To worsen an already bad case, so much sacrifice is being demanded from Nigerians without commensurate sacrifice from the leadership cadre as if Nigerians signed a master-slave contract with their leaders”. “Because patriotism should beget patriotism, if Nigerians are being asked to be patriotic enough to suffer the attendant cost of poll shift in order to fight insurgency – a man-made problem then, is it not normal for an administration that has shown unprecedented lethargy in prosecuting war against insurgency to be equally patriotic enough to admit its failure and step aside?”
