Nigerian president denies role in election postponement

Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday denied any role in the controversial decision of delaying the presidential elections, amid mounting speculation that he masterminded the postponement.

Nigeria's electoral commission announced Saturday a six-week postponement to the presidential elections citing fears over security and the Boko Haram insurgency.

The decision to postpone is widely speculated by critics and the country's main opposition party as a move engineered by the ruling People's Democratic Party for fear of losing the highly contested general elections.

"I was not consulted and I do not want to be consulted," the Nigerian leader said while fielding questions in a widely- broadcast Presidential Media Chat in Abuja on Wednesday night.

It was the Independent National Electoral Commission, which solely possesses such constitutional power to shift the polls date, that made the decision after consulting various security agencies, he said, clearing the air that he and the ruling party had any roles to play in the delaying of the election.

Jonathan also expressed regret that the international community often saw election delays in Africa as an excuse by incumbent leaders to elongate their stay in office. "In Nigeria, that is not the case."

According to Jonathan, a democratically elected government will be inaugurated on May 29, marked as Democracy Day in the West African country.

Earlier, the Nigerian electoral body said it hoped the election postponement will finally bring every registered person yet to collect their permanent voter cards the opportunity to do so in readiness for the general elections. Endite