According to reports presented by INEC to the Council of States meeting on Thursday, millions could be disenfranchised if the voting went ahead while the Islamic extremists hold a large swath of the northeast and commit mayhem that has driven 1.5 million people from their homes.
A major offensive with warplanes and ground troops from Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria already has forced the insurgents from a dozen towns and villages in the past 10 days. More severe military strikes by more countries are planned.
Officials in President Goodluck Jonathan's administration, political parties, presidential candidates, as well as civil society groups have been agitating for postponement, which is opposed by an opposition coalition fielding his chief rival, former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari.
Supporters of both sides are threatening violence if their candidate does not win. Already, hordes of southerners living in the North are moving back to their states of origin. Majority of them are Igbos from the five South East states. It will be recalled that southerners in the north were the biggest casualties during the electoral violence that followed Jonathan's victory over Buhari, back in 2011.
A postponement also will give INEC enough time over 30 million voter cards, which are still not given to voters, seven days to elections. The commission had said the non-delivery of cards to nearly half of the 68.8 million registered voters was not a good reason to delay the vote.
