Former IGP, Coomasie Kicks Against Plans to Postpone Elections
0
A former Inspector General of Police and Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF) Mr Ibrahim Coomasie has kicked against any plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) or the presidency to postpone the February general elections.
Mr Coomasie demanded that elections should hold as planned, he says the provisions of the 1999 constitution as amended on tenure of elected political office holders and the four year cycle of elections, must be adhered to by all relevant stakeholders.
His position came on the heel of calls by the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki that INEC should shift the polls because of the security challenges in the north east and the commission’s inability to effectively distribute the Permanent Voter Cards to Nigerians.
There has been growing apprehension and criticism since NSA made the statement in London on Thursday. With just less than a month to the elections, eminent Nigerians have been kicking against such call, which they described as unnecessary and self serving.
In an exclusive interview with Channels Television in Katsina on Friday, Mr Coomasie stressed that any attempt to shift the forthcoming polls will amount to tenure elongation and breach of the constitution that will not augur well for the peace and democratic development of the country.
He added that if the federal government must shift the elections on grounds of insecurity or poor distribution of PVCs, both President Goodluck Jonathan and other elected government officials must vacate office upon the expiration of their tenure on May 29, in order to give room for inauguration of an Interim Government that will supervise the next election whenever it is fixed by INEC.
Rather than postponing the election, the former police chief asked the federal government to intensify efforts in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency in the north …read more
