AREWA & NORTHERN ELDERS FORUM REJECT 2015 ELECTION TIME TABLE.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) have rejected the 2015 election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Friday.
Instead, both groups are calling on INEC to conduct all elections on the same day to ensure credibility.

In rejecting the sequence of the planned elections, both associations said the timetable prepared by INEC was designed to encourage electoral irregularities. They expressed fears that an attendant bandwagon effect was likely after the presidential election, which is the first.

ACF in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Anthony Sani said “We are uncomfortable with the sequence of the election. We prefer all elections to hold the same day in order to reduce cost and avoid bandwagon effect. But INEC has said there is no enabling law by the National Assembly that will make it possible for the elections to hold the same day; and we have also called on the legislature to make that possible.

“ACF prefers electoral disputes in courts to be disposed of before inauguration, but now INEC timetable is too close to inauguration. As a result, inaugurated winners will still use government resources to fight electoral disputes in tribunals and courts. That will be most unfair to the alleged losers in the elections and Nigerians,” the statement said.

On its part, the NEF in a statement signed by its spokesman, Professor Ango Abdullahi, expressed reservations about INEC’s preparedness for the 2015 general elections, saying that there was nothing sacrosanct about the dates the electoral body had outlined for the polls.
“There is nothing so significant about the dates that have been reeled out by INEC; however, I do not see any reason for INEC’s inability to conduct the elections the same day because it is possible and this is done all over the world, so Nigeria cannot be an exception in this case.

“Apart from the possible bandwagon effect that is likely to be associated with the current outline as enunciated by INEC, the likelihood of a winning presidential candidate in the February 14 poll manipulating the subsequent elections cannot be ruled out,” he said.
INEC had on Friday released the timetable for the 2015 elections, fixing the presidential and National Assembly elections for February 14, while the governorship and state houses of assembly polls will hold two weeks later.  (CHANNELS TV)