The governorship and state assembly elections in Nigeria have been postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to March 18.
INEC cited logistical problems with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as the reason for the postponement.
BVAS is a biometric verification system used to authenticate voter identities. INEC executives met on Wednesday evening and rescheduled the elections for a week later to provide adequate time for preparations. The meeting was still ongoing at the time of the report.
The Court of Appeal had previously granted opposition party members Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar permission to inspect the election materials.
INEC had appealed against the order and also requested a stay of execution and a review of the decision. BVAS was deployed during the presidential election held on February 25, and its inspection was aimed at verifying its accuracy and transparency in the election.
The postponement of the elections has received mixed reactions from Nigerians. Some are concerned about the delay, while others welcome the decision as necessary for ensuring credible and transparent elections.
The new date, March 18, will allow INEC to address any logistical challenges encountered during the initial preparations and ensure a credible process.
Conducting free and fair elections has been a significant challenge for INEC, given Nigeria’s history of electoral fraud and violence.
The postponement of the governorship and state assembly elections provides an opportunity for INEC to address concerns and restore confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
