THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday refuted reports from some sections of the media that the commission has agreed to postpone the February 14 presidential election.

The commission in statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman, kayode Idowu noted that despite calls from certain quarters, INEC has commenced the process of distributing the non essential materials in readiness for the election, stressing that the commission has no plans to shift the election.

Idowu in the statement noted that an INEC national commissioner, Amina Zakari who talked on the possibilities of extending for another time the February 8 deadline for the collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVC), adding that the commissioner did not in any way relate the postponement to the February 14 presidential poll.

“I write to refute the story attributing National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Amina Zakari, as saying that the 2015 general elections may be delayed if the number of Permanent Voter Cards collected by voters is too low. I was at the Situation Room Dialogue with INEC in Abuja this morning and I know that the Commissioner spoke in regard of the February 8 deadline for the collection of PVCs, nothing about the schedule of the general elections.” 

Idowu also stated that the number of PVCs already collected by voters rates highly in comparison to the level of voter turn historically in Nigerian elections, adding that INEC has not completely foreclosed the possibility of granting a few days of extension in isolated cases of low percentage of collection after February 8, but not in any way contemplating shifting the February 14 date for the presidential election.