HOW PREPARED AND READY WAS INEC IN THE REAL SENSE OF IT? AND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR ELECTION POSTPONEMENT.

The Independent Electoral Commisssion, INEC alleged it's readiness for the election that was suppose to take place in February 14th and 28th that it repeatedly said it had plans for displaced voters in the crisis-ridden North East to vote. It said every registered voter would get the PVC.

While it was making these promises, some cards were not ready, some of its card readers had not arrived, and it was uncertain if they would arrive and be distributed before the elections, the first of which was to hold on February 14. Only 45, 829, 808, or 66.58 per cent of registered voters had collected their PVCs by February 5, nine days to the earlier date proposed for the presidential election.

In all INEC's submissions at the meeting of the council of state, the only process that was 100% concluded was the preparation and availability of the voters register, all other processes including provision, distribution and collection of PVCs, printing of ballot papers, distribution of verification machines and other non –sensitive materials, recruitment and training of ad hoc staff are all "work in progress."

Among other states that INEC has not perfected it's logistics is Sokoto State. In Sokoto, nine local government areas are yet to receive PVC for the continuous voters registration, barely nine days to the election.

The majority of the 960,000 ad hoc staff needed by the commission are yet to be recruited and trained especially on the operations of card readers that are yet to be made available.
Lagos State is yet to receive a balance of about 12,000 card readers for elections.

Jega himself admitted that given a little more time, INEC would be in a better position to perfect the processes and its readiness for the elections. In his presentations to the Council, the INEC Chairman, stated clearly that for the electoral process to be free, fair, and credible, there are other matters which were not under the control of INEC, principal among which is the issue of provision and guarantee of security of lives and properties.

The consideration behind the possibility of change of date is to allow those who may be disfranchised from voting on the 14th February to have an opportunity to exercise their lawful rights to vote and participate in the general elections.

The new wave of successes being recorded by the Military in the War against insurgency, especially with the arrival of new effective combatant equipment and machinery, plus the newly revamped cross border co-operation with Niger, Chad and Cameroonian Military, offer a very genuine hope that in a very short while, the situation in the affected states will be brought under such reasonable control that will guarantee safety of the electoral process and electorate in the war front region of the North–East at a no distant future.

The only set of people who stand to benefit from a shift in election dates as it is, are Nigerians who desire to vote and have not been able to collect their Permanent Voters Cards and other innocent citizens living in the war zone who may not be able to vote on the 14th February.

We also recollect that in 2003, 2007, and 2011 the elections were held in April, and the hand over date was not affected.
Can anyone tell Nigerians in clear terms what dangers the change of date from February 14th portends to the electoral process or to the Nigerian electorate. It will also be good if anyone can tell us who stands to benefit or be disadvantaged from any shifting of date and how.

Our democracy is in transition, it's a gradual process to perfection.