Mr Kazem Gbadamosi, former Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ibadan branch, says the Independent National Electoral Commission has the legal backing to postpone elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that INEC had on Saturday announced the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly as well as Governorship and State Assembly elections earlier slated for Feb. 16 and March 2 to Feb. 23 and March 9 respectively.
Gbadamosi in an interview with NAN in Ibadan said the electoral Act empowered INEC to postpone elections if it envisaged that any difficulty with materials or security that would affect the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.
“The problem we have in Nigeria is that people read meanings into every issue even if it was of law.
“If you take the right decision, people will say it was because of this or that.
“Though I am yet to read the reason for the postponement of the election by INEC, to ordinary Nigerians the reasons may not be tenable.
“We are all aware that election materials got burnt in Anambra State and 66 persons also killed in Kaduna State a few days to election day,’’ Gbadamosi said.
He said if INEC suspected that there would be violence and a breakdown of the law and order, it would in the good interest of Nigeria not go on with the election.
