by Ahanonu Kingsley

It forces me to wonder what correlation has a military (or security) fighting insurgence has with elections. Do we require military in elections as to serve as defining factor to determine the holding or otherwise of elections?

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday announced the shift in the general polls previously scheduled to hold on the 14th and 28th of February.

The new dates are 28th March and 11th April respectively.

The announcement by the commission’s chairman, though never eliciting surprise, going by the strong and vociferous conjecture as to that regard, came as an abrupt shock to me considering the news feelers some days ago as to the insistence of the umpire to status quo ante and its endorsement by the Council of State.

With this eventual revelation, it became evident that the postponement long skewed has been given flight. The decisive commander has budged; And only one observation could explain that: that INEC, helpless and disconcerted has finally caved in. I do not chastise Jega and his commission; I know the impulsiveness, how it could be. But nevertheless, I have my reservation.

A calendar check would reveal the lapse between 14th of Feb. and 28th of March as streak of six weeks. The question of what happens in this period as to suggest the drag, Mr. Jega cannily directs us to the military (or is it security heads?)

In what formed his reference of their raison detre in his astonishing press statement of, Prof Attahiru Jega had in a manner suggesting tensiveness pointed out the military clear indication of absence during the ensuing process as the main underlining impediment. There was nothing wrong with that disclosure, save in the unpalatableness the substance gives.

It forces me to wonder what correlation has a military (or security) fighting insurgence has with elections. Do we require military in elections as to serve as defining factor to determine the holding or otherwise of elections?

If INEC had given the issue of PVC collection as a reason for the postponement of the polls, I would have calmly acceded to it, albeit for the pint of sense. But as is the case, it never alluded to such; indicating that the PVC was nonetheless a constraint-after all some people are with their TVCs.

What baffles me rather, over the development is the citing of security as the significant bottle-neck. For Prof. Jega to have purely mentioned the security hurdle suggests that it was the only reason to have made such decision. And for him to have hinged his rationale on the defiant stance of the security heads smacks of an action pressured into.

What literarily ‘tore my eyes’ is the reasons alluded to security heads as their restraining factor: they required six weeks to stage an operation against insurgency.

And I ask why now, now that we are almost to the polls? How sure are we that the Boko Haram trauma would subside for the men to commit to election vigilance?

Besides, do we really need military during elections? I thought it’s basically the responsibility of the police to man civil procedures like elections?

And even when apt, must there be military presence everywhere during elections? How many personnel would suffice; and would these ‘essential numbers’ affect the needed force for this ‘operations’ that suddenly must be won in split seconds?

Since going by the unpredictability of the war, it would be improbable to say categorically when it will end; we don’t know how upbeat the counter-effort will be; that even the six weeks extended become elusive. Then, shouldn’t we have, outright, waited ad infinitum since the military were so ‘electorally’ crucial?

I ask and still ask because…hah hah, I smell rat (especially from the security outfits). That INEC suddenly fell from its stronghold of affirmed preparedness, save in unwelcoming security assurance and insistence to shaky disposition beats the eyes. A clearly disturbing scenario of the military might cowering the ballot to submission!

Does the military want us to believe that in the six weeks, magic would have been done to wipe out the security challenge (which remains our utmost desire) as to return concentration to the polls?

We know this reason is a merely leaky as to hold any water; they are light feather antics for the faint-hearted to have their way. The simple truth is that we do not need military to man elections; they should concentrate on their war efforts. The police are quite enough; or are they also involved in the counter-terrorism combat?

Spare us some of the abracadabra, not all Nigerians are that gullible. At the end of the day, we see the ‘advice’ by the National Security Adviser, the ‘suggestion’ by the ruling party and cognate ‘calls’ seeing the light of they day, obviously by the quickening of security ‘non-cooperativeness’. What a clear confirmation of many fears.

But one thing is clear, that no matter the winding navigations, the masses own the process- and it is the masses that would decide.

And you know what, the masses yearn for imminent change; a change that cannot be denied no matter how committed is the ganged up effort to delay it!
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