Military service chiefs say they will not provide
security on the 14th of February for the election
poll if it is not postponed.
In a letter sent to the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), the military said
soldiers will not be available to provide security
anywhere in the country if it goes ahead with its
plans to hold the presidential elections on
Saturday next week because they are too busy
with operations in the North east region.Daily
Trust newspapers report that the letter was sent
to INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega on
Wednesday by the President’s National Security
Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki.
The NSA said he was “strongly advising” INEC to
postpone the polls on the basis of a letter which
he received from Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief
Marshal Alex Badeh.
Badeh’s letter to the NSA, which he said was
agreed upon by all the service chiefs, indicated
that the military had just launched a major effort
with the collaboration of Chad, Cameroon and
Niger Republic to rid the North East region of
Boko Haram insurgents once and for all.
He said while the operation lasts, it will not be
possible to hold elections in Adamawa, Yobe,
Borno and Gombe states.
The CDS therefore advised the NSA to advise
INEC to either defer elections in the four states or
alternatively to postpone elections throughout the
country for at least six weeks. He indicated that
the military preferred the second option.Weekly
Trust learnt that when the INEC chairman made
his presentation at the Council of State meeting,
he essentially said INEC was ready to go ahead
with the polls as planned.
He however added that INEC had received a new
security report which could change the equation
but did not elaborate on it.
Afterwards, the NSA
briefed the council and restated the military
brass’ call for an election postponement while the
operation in the North East lasts.
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