The National Council of State meeting has agreed to allow the election to hold as scheduled.
The council had met against the groundswell of pressure for the postponemnt of the election based on the low collection rate of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and rising insecurity in the North east.
But members of the council meeting in Abuja on Thursday insisted that the February elections must proceed as scheduled.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has 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 February elections and that the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards was progressing well.
Nigeria’s national security adviser had called for a delay to allow more time for voter card distribution.
Nigeria is also battling an Islamist-led insurgency in the north-east.
The council of state – made up of presidential candidates, ex-leaders, state governors and election officials – met in the capital, Abuja, on Thursday to discuss the crisis.
“No decision was taken to change the date. The date remains February 14. Inec (Independent National Electoral Commission) reassured us that they are prepared to conduct the election,” Mr Okorocha told journalists.
Ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari is President Goodluck Jonathan’s main challenger, in what is expected to be the most tightly contested poll since military rule ended in 1999.
Several of Nigeria’s smaller opposition parties, as well as national security adviser Sambo Dasuki, had been urging a postponement of the poll.
The Rainbow, with agency reports
