Written by Soji-Eze Fagbemi, Tribune, Abuja

Against the speculations that the Inde-pendent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will release the 2011 election timetable during the week, Saturday Tribune can authoritatively reveal that there is no specific date yet for the release of the timetable. This became evident on Friday as the commission gave reasons on why the timetable is yet to be released.

Saturday Tribune gathered at the INEC headquarters on Friday that the commission had not even concluded work on the timetable, while it has also not resolved to publish the much-awaited timetable on any date.

The INEC Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Umenger and the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, who spoke separately with Saturday Tribune on the issue, could not state specifically when the time table would be out, but they both said that the commission was working on it.

They also assured that the timetable would be out as soon as work had been completed on it.

“We are as anxious as Nigerians are and we are working round the clock to release it, and as soon as it is ready, we will make it happen. We are determined to achieve this in the interest of our young democracy. “So, Nigerians should rest assured that at the appropriate time, when everything is done, the timetable will be released. Let them be patient with us. We are not resting on our oars; we are working on this thing. As you are talking to me, we are working on it,” Umenger said

He said the commission was working within the ambit of the law and that INEC still had enough time to release the timetable, going by the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010, which has just been signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan.