Another poll delay’ll amount to a coup – Buhari.

The Presidential candidate of the
All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has
warned that further postponement
of the March 28 election by the
Independent National Electoral
Commission will amount to “a
civilian and military coup.”
While advising INEC to take note of
its constitutional limitations, he
also ruled out participation in any
election debate following the
postponement of the elections.
The former Head of State, sounded
the warning in an interview with
journalists on Monday in Abuja
during a courtesy call on him by the
first elected President of Malawi
and Leader of the Commonwealth
Election Observers Group, Dr. Bakili
Muluzi.
He said, “We told them about the
change in the dates of elections
and the constitutional limitations
of INEC. That is the last card for INEC
and they cannot delay the elections
anymore. So, it is up to the
government to facilitate a free, fair
and credible election.
“If they fail to do that then, they
will be indulging in a civilian and
military coup because the
constitution is very clear that
certain days to the swearing in,
there must be an election which
will usher in a new government. So,
there are no more excuses. INEC has
given a document that they are
ready for the election.
“They said they had trained their
personnel, acquired equipment
and have been distributing voter
cards. But the security chiefs wrote
INEC and demanded six more
weeks.
“Okay, they have been given six
weeks and that is the end of it. So
we are getting ready for the
election of March 28.
“Our enormous support has grown;
we have visited 34 out of the 36
states in the country. It remains
two states and Abuja and that will
complete it. We are now
conducting town hall meetings
with interest groups, business
people, the elite and youths. I
appeal to our supporters to remain
calm.”
Asked if he would participate in
further debate due to the shift in
presidential election date, Buhari
said, “We are having town-hall
meetings and the party (APC) has
taken a superior position.”
Muluzi had while thanking Buhari
for receiving his team, said that he
had discussions with INEC.
He said, “I am from the
Commonwealth and we are about
11 members who have been drawn
from Commonwealth countries to
observe the elections with some
members of staff from London.
“We arrived here on Saturday and
we normally arrive in any country
in which we want to observe
election five days before, just to
interact with stakeholders and the
leadership to understand the
situation on the ground. It was only
on Saturday night that we were
informed that the election will now
hold on March 28.
“We met with INEC this (Monday)
morning and we raised some
questions and they also answered
the questions. We also thought that
there should be an opportunity to
meet the leadership. INEC has
postponed the elections for six
weeks.
“I just want to appeal to the
Nigerian people, especially at this
time, to remain calm. This is why I
do congratulate him (Buhari)
because he has asked his
supporters to remain calm until the
election is held on March 28.
“It is very important, Africa is still
very important. We still have to
create employment for our people.
And if we are going to create chaos
in our country, we will be unfair to
our people who are looking
forward to the leadership for
employment. And therefore peace
becomes very important. I will have
to appeal to Nigerians to remain
calm.”
Muluzi also said the delegation
would meet with President
Goodluck Jonathan to make the
same appeal so that he must
appeal to his supporters to remain
calm.
Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto,
Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III-led
Jama’atu Nasir Islam, has warned
politicians against jeopardising the
nation’s democracy with the
postponment of the elections by
INEC.
In its reaction to INEC’s decision to
delay the polls, the body also asked
politicians to fear God in their
actions.
The apex Islamic body said on
Monday that political gladiators
should not jeopardise the already
tensed situation in the country.
A statement by the JNI’s Secretary-
General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu,
in Kaduna on Monday, however,
asked Nigerians to remain calm by
not further heating up the polity.
It said, “The JNI, under the
leadership of its President-General,
His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto
and his lieutenants, after listening
to the shift in dates of the 2015
general elections by six weeks, as
announced by INEC, is watching
with keen interest the uproar the
decision is currently generating in
the country and therefore calls for
caution by all political gladiators.
“They should, in the name of God,
not jeopardise the already tensed
situation of grief and anxiety.”.