United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has engaged in a telephone conversation with President Goodluck Jonathan and his main challenger, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), over the postponement of the election 2015 Nigerian general elections.

He called the two frontrunners on Saturday, according to a statement from the Secretary-General on Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the postponement of the elections, initially scheduled for Feb. 14 and 28. The statement was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, National Information Officer, UN Information Centre in Nigeria.

Ki-moon, in the statement, encouraged both Jonathan and Buhari to respect the Abuja Accord they adopted and which commits them to non-violence, peace and tolerance during the elections.

“He looks up to Nigeria’s authorities to uphold their commitment to ensure a violence-free election and put in place adequate security measures, so that citizens across the country are able to exercise their civic duty safely and without fear,” the statement added.

The statement also said that Ki-moon has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take advantage of the shift in polls to embark on rapid distribution of the remaining Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to all registered voters.

Ki-moon, in the statement, pointed out that the rapid distribution of PVCs to all eligible voters was imperative to ensure credible polls.

He urged “the electoral authority to take all necessary measures, such as the rapid distribution of the remaining PVCs, to enable all eligible voters, including those displaced, to exercise their right to vote in a timely manner.”

“This is imperative for ensuring a credible, free and transparent election,” the statement said.

The secretary-general expressed the hope that the forthcoming elections would meet the high expectations of the Nigerian people and the international community.

“The successful conduct of these polls would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and enable the country to continue to play a leading role in the promotion of regional peace and security,” he stated.

•Photo shows Ban Ki-moon.