Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission has postponed the country’s presidential and national assembly elections until 28 March because of security concerns.
The elections were due to be held on 14 February, but INEC chairman Attahiru Jega said delaying it would allow the army to secure north-eastern areas currently under the control of the militant group Boko Haram.
“The Commission is specifically concerned about the security of our ad-hoc staff. This concern is limited not just to the areas in the northeastern part of Nigeria experiencing insurgency; the risk of deploying young men and women and calling people to exercise their democratic rights in a situation where their security cannot be guaranteed is a most onerous responsibility,” Jega said in a statement on the commission’s website on 7 February.
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