6th April, 2011
The United Nations (UN) on Tuesday expressed the belief that Nigeria was on track in spite of the shift in dates of the general elections by INEC.
UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York on the sidelines of the daily briefing of the global body.
“We are aware of the postponement and we are sure that things are on track,†he stated.
Nesirky said that the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, had reaffirmed his confidence in the progress achieved by Nigeria in consolidating democracy since 1999.
Ban had in a statement issued on the eve of the first rescheduled National Assembly election expressed the hope that the forthcoming polls would meet the high expectations of Nigerians and the international community.
NAN reports that INEC had on Saturday postponed the National Assembly election to Monday following the delay in the delivery of sensitive electoral materials.
A day later, the electoral body announced new dates for all the elections.
It said the National Assembly election would now hold on April 9, followed by the presidential poll on April 16 with the governorship election coming up on April 26.
Meanwhile, some women in purdah say they will exercise their right to vote during the general elections in order to contribute to the enthronement of good leadership in the country.
The women told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Kano that they would embrace the challenge if their husbands allowed them to participate in the three slated elections.
Malama Barira Sani, a house wife, said she was determined to vote in all the elections, adding that she would however seek the consent of her husband.
“You know that as Muslim women, we have to seek for permission from our husbands to go out. So, that is the only snag that can set me back, although my husband encouraged me to vote in the previous election,†Sani said.
Salma Aminu, another young woman in purdah, said her husband witnessed the conduct of the botched National Assembly poll, especially the pains women suffered to join the queues and advised her not to vote.
She, however, said that in spite of her husband’s advice, she felt it was her right to vote as women must be part of the country’s democracy drive.
Aminu, who urged husbands not to prevent their wives from performing their civic responsibility, said women have pivotal roles to play in nation building.