The National Council of State meeting has ended in Abuja with members insisting that the February elections must proceed as scheduled.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also given the assurance that the presidential election will hold on February 14 as scheduled.

INEC told the National Council of State that it was ready to conduct the February elections.

The Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, and his Imo State counterpart, Rochas Okorocha, confirmed to State House correspondents that INEC assured the council of its readiness to conduct the elections and that the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards was going well.

Mr. Okorocha said that the nation’s security chiefs also said that they were ready for the elections but raised concern about the possibility of elections holding in areas under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.

INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, who had earlier been sighted on the premises of the State House, was said to have made a presentation at the meeting.

Nigeria’s security chiefs were also said to have made presentations which might have given the council some confidence that the elections can indeed hold.

In attendance were Nigeria’s past Heads of State, including the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.

Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, had used his twitter account to announce that he would “attend the Council of State meeting” and “oppose any agenda to postpone the elections.”

Also present were 28 governors of PDP and APC governed states as well as the deputy governors of Oyo, Borno and Abia states. The acting Governor of Taraba was also in attendance.

The security chiefs, led by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, were also present as well as former Chief Justices, Dahiru Mustapha and Alpha Belgore.

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who was expected to attend was, however, absent.

•Text courtesy of Channels TV. Photo shows voting in progress in a past Nigerian election.

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