Nigerian Elections Postponed

Nigeria’s Presidential and parliamentary elections have been delayed for a week. The announcement was made in the early hours of the morning today.

“Proceeding with the election as scheduled is no longer feasible,” commission chairman Mahmood Yakubu said, citing logistical issues.

The vote has been rescheduled for Saturday 23 February.

The announcement came after an emergency meeting at the INEC headquarters in the capital, Abuja.

Mr Yakubu said the decision was made following a “careful review” of the election “operational plan”, adding that there was a “determination to conduct free, fair and credible elections”.

He said the delay was necessary to give the commission time to address vital issues and “maintain the quality of our elections”, but did not provide further details.

In the past two weeks several INEC offices have been set alight, with thousands of electronic smart card readers and voter cards destroyed.

There have also been claims of shortages of election material in some of the country’s 36 states.

Nigeria has been forced to bolster its security, with the run-up to the elections marred by violence.

On Friday, officials in north-west Nigeria reported the discovery of the bodies of 66 people, 22 of them children and 12 women, killed by “criminal elements”.