News / Nigeria

Nigeria’s security chief calls for election delay

Thursday, 22 January 2015 7:27 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 22 January 2015 7:27 PM ]

Nigerian National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki

Nigeria’s top security official has called on the country’s electoral commission to postpone the upcoming presidential election to allow more time for distributing voter cards.

Speaking in London Thursday at the UK-based think tank, Chatham House, Nigerian National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki said he had advised the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it would be more prudent to delay the poll within the three months it had to legally take place.

“If in one year you’ve distributed 30 million, I don’t see how you will distribute another 30 million in two weeks. It doesn’t make sense,” he stated.

The February 14 presidential election is the first in the most populous African country to require voters to have biometric cards.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is running for re-election while his key challenger is the former military ruler, Muhammadu Buhari.

The election comes as Nigeria is wracked by massive violence by the Takfiri terrorist group, Boko Haram.

During his speech, Dasuki blasted what he described as “cowards” within Nigeria’s armed forces for impeding the campaign against Boko Haram.

“We have people who use every excuse in this world not to fight,” he emphasized, noting, however, that “there is no high-level conspiracy within the army not to end the insurgency.”

Dasuki also stated that sufficient security will be in place for the election and that people displaced by the violence will be able take part in the vote.

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