As the 2015 Election cycle heats up, let us reflect on one of its key institutions: INEC.
For the first time in Nigeria’s history, the same national electoral commission Chairman (Prof. Attahiru Jega), its eleventh since Independence, will be handling two successive general elections. This is a plus for experience, otherwise a negative if it is to perpetuate incompetence and/or an agenda.
The calendar of elections has also not been stable – today legislative before executive elections, tomorrow the opposite, another time one legislative lumped with one executive, with talks of band-wagon effects laden with multiple agendas. One hopes that this order will be stabilized once and for all.
Most elections have been held in April, but February elections have not been un-precedented, the first set being held then in 1999. However, the 2015 cycle is starting the earliest so far – on Valentine Day 2015.
May our love-able (albeit episodically hapless) nation remain so, i.e love-able , thereafter. [Amen.]
We shall see….and there you have it.
CALENDAR OF ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA SINCE 1999-2015
| S/N | Year | National Legislature | State Legislature | Gubernatorial | Presidential | Remarks |
| 1 | 1999 | February 20 | February 20 | February 27 | February 27 | State/National Legislative before Gubernatorial/Presidential.Inec Chairperson: Justice Ephraim Akpata (appointed 1998; d. January 2000) |
| 2 | 2003 | April 12 | April 12 | April 19 | April 19 | State/National Legislative before Gubernatorial/Presidential.Inec Chairperson: Mr. Abel Guobadia (appointed May 2000; d. February 2011) |
| 3 | 2007 | April 21 | April 14 | April 14 | April 21 | State Legislative/Gubernatorial before National Legislative/Presidential.Inec Chairperson: Prof. Maurice Iwu (appointed June 2005) |
| 4 | 2011 | April 9 | April 9 | April 16 | April 16 | State/National Legislative before Gubernatorial/Presidential.Inec Chairperson: Prof. Attahiru Jega (appointed June 2010) |
| 5 | 2015 | February 14 | February 28 | February 28 | February 14 | National Legislative/Presidential before State Legislative/ GubernatorialInec Chairperson: Prof. Attahiru Jega |
Wikipedia entry on INEC leadership: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_National_Electoral_Commission
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