The Independent National Electoral commission has finally shifted the 2015 general election.

The development is coming after divided positions from various quarters over calls to defer the polls.

INEC chairman professor Attahiru Jega who announced the change in the elections dates said the president and national assembly polls would now hold on the 28th march while the state elections will take place on the 29th of April twenty fifteen.

Professor Jega was emphatic when he intimated a crowd of journalists waiting to hear the shift after he held several meetings with identified stakeholders.

He said the commission could not wave off advice of security agencies who advised the commission against going on with the polls due to insecurity in some parts of the country.

Jega maintained that inec could only guarantee provision of electoral material and deployment of their personnel but not their security-quoting section twenty six subsection one of the electoral act which abhors conduct of election where there is insecurity as their guide.
 
The chairman said the commission was doing everything possible to facilitate voters’ collection of their permanent voter cards which he said was successful up to 66percent before the security advice was handed down. He said the new dates will falls in line with relevant laws of the country.

On whether the commission was forced to shift the polls, the INEC chairman flayed the insinuation saying the decision was taken after due consultation with stakeholders. He said the extension will allow them time to perfect their system and processes for conducting the best election in Nigeria.

Professor denied allegations that PVCS have not been distributed in four state of the northeast geopolitical zone. He disclosed that inec has achieved over 68 percent distribution of the cards in Borno, 78 percent in Gombe as well as 74 and 80 percent in Yobe and adamawa states.