BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 9 March 2023

Source: BBC

Why INEC postpone election and oda times e don happun

An electorate showing how frustrated he is An electorate showing how frustrated he is

Afta one court decision ova di machines wey Nigeria electoral body, dey use count votes, di Independent National Electoral Commission postpone elections for state govnors and local assemblies by one week.

According to wetin di commission tok, di move go allow more time for dem to reconfigure and deploy di so-called BVAS machines for di upcoming vote.

Di polls wey dem bin don schedule to take place on Saturday 11 March, go now hold on 18 March.

One court earlier on Wednesday reject di demand of opposition to stop di reconfiguring of BVAS so dia teams fit check for forensic evidence of ballot rigging claims.

Di opposition bin dey contest last month election victory wey President- elect Bola Tinubu win.

But Inec say dia legal challenge don delay preparations and di BVAS machines no go ready in time.

BVAS na di new voting device wey dey for cross-checking voters names for di Register of Voters.

E dey authenticate voters wit di use of dia fingerprints or facials.

Dem dey also use am upload polling results electronically.

Meanwhile. dis no be di first time di Independent National Electoral Commission go postpone elections for Nigeria but for different reasons.

Dem postpone 2019 elections for one dramatic night-time move

For 2019, Nigeria bin delay im presidential and parliamentary elections for one week, for one dramatic night-time move.

Di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) make di announcement just five hours before dem open di polls on Saturday wen e suppose hold.

"Proceeding wit di election as scheduled no longer dey feasible," di commission chairman dat time, Mahmood Yakubu tok, as e mention say na sake of logistic issues.

Oga Yakubu say di difficult decision to postpone di election dey needed to ensure free and fair vote.

Di presidential and parliamentary vote wey bin dey scheduled for Saturday 16, dey postponed till 23rd February.

Govnorship, state assembly and federal area council elections dey rescheduled from Saturday 2 March until Saturday 9 March.



Security concerns make dem postpone election for 2015

INEC postpone di 2015 elections just one week before di date dem schedule.

Even though di chairman dat time, Attahiru Jega, tok say di commission don ready to conduct di elections as dem plan am, di National Council of State advise make dem postpone di exercise for six weeks sake of security reasons.

As Boko Haram dey cause gbege for di northeast at di time, di council inform INEC say Security Services need more time to conclude one major military operation.

Jega say National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki bin write to INEC say dem no fit guarantee security during di original proposed election timetable sake of on-going military operations to fight Boko Haram insurgents.

Im add say, "Di Commission hold one meeting afta di consultations, and decide to take di advice of di Security Chiefs and adjust di dates of di elections.

“Di commission no fit lightly wave off di advice of di nation security chiefs ... Di risk of deploying young men and women and calling people to exercise dia democratic rights for situation wia dia security no fit dey guaranteed na responsibility,” Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Attahiru Jega tell tori pipo.

Dem later postpone di election for six weeks from di initial February 14, 2015 to March 28, 2015, and state assembly elections hold on April 11, 2015.”

2011 National Assembly elections postponed afta voting don start

Pipo don already begin dey vote before Inec postpone di National Assembly elections for 2011.

Voting don already start for some parts of di kontri on April 2, 2011, wen Ince chairman, Attahiru Jega announce say im go suspend di election sake of late arrival of result sheets for many parts of di kontri.

"Di result sheets dey central to di elections and dia integrity. Accordingly, for many places, our officials neva report for di polling units, wey make am difficult to implement di Modified Open Ballot Procedure wey we adopt.

At di time wey di commission release statement to postpone di election, Oga Jega say na only for states like Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Delta, Zamfara and Enugu wey materials don ready and dem no go fit proceed for integrity sake.

"Not only do we have to enter the results in the sheets, the number of accredited voters is also to be entered in the result sheet."

Dem postpone di election for two days and e hold on April 4.

Wetin di electoral law tok about election postponement

Di electoral act of 2022 as amended for Nigeria give provision for conduct and postponement of election incase of emergency.

Section 24 say in di event of any emergency wey dey affect an election, di Commission shall, as far as practicable, make sure say di pesin wey dey displaced as a result of di emergency no dey disenfranchised.

If e dey impossible to conduct di election sake of natural disasters or oda emergencies, di Commission fit postpone di election and shall in respect of di area, or areas concerned, appoint anoda date for di holding of di postponed election, provided say dat reason for di postponement dey cogent and verifiable.

Di electoral act also give room say if e dey impossible to continue wit any election sake of threat to peace and security of electoral officials and materials, di Commission fit suspend di election and appoint anoda date for di continuation of di election or di process.

Meanwhile, wia di commission appoint anoda date in accordance wit subsections (2) and (3), dia shall be no return for di election until polling don take place for di area or areas wey dey affected.