The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has no plan to postpone the 2019 general elections.
Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, made the clarification in a statement he issued in Abuja on Wednesday.
Oyekanmi said the clarification became necessary following a story with the headline, “We may shift 2019 polls over threat of violence – INEC.”
The publication, according to Oyekanmi, does not portray the correct reflection of what INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said at the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
Oyekanmi said what Yakubu told the security chiefs at the meeting was that as the 2019 general elections drew close; the committee would need to meet more frequently.
This, according to him, is to constantly assess the security situation across the country and take proactive actions to forestall any unpleasant event before, during and after the elections.
“He underscored the fact that elections cannot be conducted under a rancorous atmosphere.
“He referred to Section 26 of the Electoral Act which, among others, gives the commission the power to postpone an election if there is reason to believe that a serious breach of peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded with on (the fixed date)”, or as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies.
