The independence of Nigeria's electoral agency has been "gravely compromised" by the six-week postponement of February elections, the main opposition presidential candidate says.
"Although INEC (the Independent National Electoral Commission) acted within its constitutional powers, it is clear that it has been boxed into a situation where it has had to bow to pressure. Thus, the independence of INEC has been gravely compromised," Muhammadu Buhari told a news conference in Abuja on Sunday.
On Saturday, the electoral agency pushed back presidential and parliamentary elections from February 14 to March 28, citing security fears over the Islamist insurgency in the northeast of Africa's most populous country.
INEC also shifted state governorship and parliamentary polls to April 11 from February 28.
Buhari, while appealing to Nigerians and particularly his party's supporters to show "utmost restraint and calm", said that his All Progressives Congress (APC) would not tolerate a further delay.
"Our party will not tolerate any further interference with the electoral process," he said.
"The rescheduled elections of March 28 and April 11, 2015, must be sacrosanct."
"Any act of violence can only complicate the security challenges in the country and provide further justification to those who would want to exploit every situation to frustrate the democratic process in the face of certain defeat at the polls," said Buhari, 72, a former military head of state.
At a question-and-answer session after the news conference Buhari said the postponement was the "last card INEC and the government have".
