WILL THE ELECTIONS BE POSTPONED?

The Alliance for Democracy (AD) candidate unfortunately passed away. Mr. Adebayo Adefarati was 79 years old and had been sick for a while. He died in an Ondo State hospital. May his soul rest in peace and may God grant his family strength during this tough period.

Okay, I unfortunately have to address political issues. The first of which is an issue that I raised in 'Rest in Peace' when I incorrectly thought that presidential candidate Umaru Yar'Adua was no more. Section 37 (1) of the 2006 Electoral Act grants Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the authority to postpone elections indefinitely in the event that a presidential nominee dies. Assuming that INEC enforces this law, the much hoped-for democratic transition will not happen when we expected.

UPDATE: Just checked with BBC Online and they note that INEC determined that the AD should simply offer a replacement candidate. Thus, Adefarati's death will not postpone the elections.

Unfortunately, Adefarati's death is not the only stumbling block to the election. According to newspaper reports, INEC has acknowledged that if the courts of the land declare that Atiku is cleared to participate in the elections, INEC will have to postpone the polls in order to get the ballots printed for the 61.5 million registered voters. A task that will take time.

No conclusion can be made at this point in time. We shall all have to wait to hear the final verdict of the courts regarding individuals like Atiku that have challenged the INEC list. Of course, a delay of any kind will raise fears of instability and a potential return by the military. Nevertheless, all Nigerians will have to be patient during this time of insecurity. Something tells me that in a country where anything happens, Nigerians will be just fine at weathering this and any storm that comes their way.