Sharia Council Urges INEC To Hold Presidential, Governorship Polls Same Day

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has asked the Federal Government and all well-meaning Nigerians, to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold all the forthcoming general elections in one day, saying that violence may mar the staggered polls.

The council said the violence might be possible because some desperate politicians are already warming up to cause a crisis to stop the elections knowing fully well that they may lose the contests.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna on yesterday, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Shari’a in Nigeria, Nafi’u Baba-Ahmed flanked by other members of the Council, said a security source confirmed to the council that security agencies may not be able to withstand the looming political violence.

The council also kicked against the 10 days extension of the deadline for old naira notes swap, saying five months extension was ideal because of rural dwellers who don’t have access to banks.

The Council’s Secretary-General said: “There is a high probability of the second election not holding because of violence from the first election.

It is not going to be feasible.

The first election is the presidential and National Assembly elections. Our fear is that in the light of the precarious security situation in the country and the fact that admission by security agencies that are overstretched, it is quite possible, perhaps highly probable that some desperate politicians who might lose the election will trigger political violence to the extent that the subsequent elections may not hold.