It is okay to be suspicious of Nigeria's military given their many past betrayals of their constitutional role in and duties to the country. It is also right to criticize them fairly. There must be times however when it makes sense to evaluate their actions and advice critically. To accuse Nigeria's military of a backdoor coup because Saturday's (02/14) elections were postponed for six weeks is preposterous to say the least. How/what does the military stand to gain from the postponement? Is anyone seriously suggesting that the military has anything to lose if the elections were not postponed?
I might add that the advice to INEC was given, not by Nigeria's military but the Security Agencies as a group which group is not one and the same with the military. The President was not obligated to accept the advice I believe. He could have chosen to order the Security Agencies to go to work, do their best, to ensure that conditions for free and fair elections are in place. He did not. He chose the course of prudence instead. He acted responsibly. He should be commended for this in my opinion. His critics and opponents, and some conspiracy theorists will not of course.
The National Council of State seems to have agreed with the Security Agencies' advice but I will not assign much merit to the council's position. A democratic Nigeria does not need a council with a large majority of military coup plotters and dictators, and just one democratically elected civilian former president (Shagari), advising a democratically elected civilian president on constitutional law, process and actions. The military ensured the leverage on, and relevance of past military dictators in Nigeria's immediate constitutional development by providing for the council as it is presently constituted, in the constitution they forced on Nigerians.
oa
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@g
ooglegroups.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2015 8:18 PM
To: USAAfrica Dialogue
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Nigeria's election delay a 'major setback' for democracy, opposition says
"Faced with extraordinary pressure from the Nigerian military, Nigeria's election commission has announced a six-week delay in the presidential election, revealing that the army was refusing to provide security for the election unless it was delayed.
The crucial election, in which President Goodluck Jonathan was locked in a tight race with opposition rival Muhammadu Buhari, was scheduled for Feb. 14. But at a late-night press conference in Abuja on Saturday night, just a week before the vote, the commission said the election will be postponed to March 28."
- Ikhide
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