INDICATIONS have emerged that the National Assembly may consider shifting the general election from April to August. Lawmakers who were at the National Assembly on Monday were seen in groups discussing the possibility of the planned postponement.
A few of them who were against the plan vowed that it would never happen, though they expressed apprehension that those behind it might want to push it at all costs. When asked the reason for the planned postponement, the lawmakers said those behind it would likely point to some developments in the country.
A member from South-East who did not want his name in print said that there were moves to shift the election to August, which he noted had slowed down his campaign for a higher political office.
He later met briefly with another member from Jigawa State who equally confirmed that moves were being made to ensure that the elections were shifted. �Yes, we are yet to confirm, but we hear that they want to shift the election to August so that the swearing in date would now be October 1st. In any case, we shall resist it because it implies that we have to amend the constitution,� the representative from Jigawa State said.
The ongoing voters� registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was cited as one of the reasons that would be used to defend the postponement, while the National Assembly would be convinced to amend the constitution so as to accommodate the new date of swearing in of a new president.
Apart from the voters� registration, members feared that some loopholes already detected in the 2006 Electoral Act could be exploited to justify why the elections could not be held as scheduled.
But Honourable Bashir Idris Nadabo, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) member from Dandume/ Funtua federal constituency in Katsina State, ruled out the possibility of shifting the election forward, vowing that any attempt to do so would be resisted in the House.
According to him, the issue of voters� registration had been carefully handled by the National Assembly with the amendment of the 2006 Electoral Act to give more days to INEC to register every eligible voter.
�As far as I am concerned, I don�t think Obasanjo will be able to scuttle the proposed elections in April because this will damage his image in the international community. Whatever they are going to do, I think they will do to make sure that the elections are held.
Efforts to contact the principal officers of the National Assembly yesterday proved abortive as it was gathered that they might be having a meeting over the issue.