Nigeria: Governorship poll delayed in two states

  1. Posted on Tuesday 26 April 2011 - 12:00
    Samuel
    Image of Samuel
    Samuel Okocha, AfricaNews reporter in Lagos, Nigeria
    The governorship elections scheduled for the 26th of April in Nigeria have been postponed in the northern states of Bauchi and Kaduna. The Chairman of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega told newsmen that votes in the two states would now hold on the 28th of April.
    Ballot box
    At a news conference at the commission's headquarters in Abuja, Professor Jega said the polls in the affected states would not hold as earlier scheduled because of security concerns.

    Supporters of the main presidential challenger from the north, Mohammadu Buhari, had gone on rampage in several states in the region after it was clear President Goodluck Jonathan who hails from Nigeria's oil rich south had won the April 16 election. Over one hundred lives and property of high profile citizens seemingly in support of the incumbent were reportedly lost in the violence.

    ''I have carefully been assessing the feasibility of holding upcoming April 26 elections in the states most affected by the violence. The assessment has shown that there's a marked improvement in security in some states for the elections to hold.

    ''However, in other states, specifically in Kaduna and Bauchi states, the security situation remains a source of concern. Consequently the commission is constrained to postpone the April 26 elections in the two states in accordance of section 26 of the electoral ac 2010 as amended.

    ''But the postponement is from April 26 to April 28, hoping that this will allow further cooling of tempers and for security situation in those states to continue to improve,'' the head of Nigeria's electoral commission said.

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