The Federal Government might have shortlisted four national commissioners to take over from Prof. Attahiru Jega as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to Punch Newspaper, Jega might be asked to hand over to one of the commissioners in INEC and also proceed on a three-month terminal leave.
During a presidential media chat on February 11, President Goodluck Jonathan had reassured Nigerians that he had no plan to remove the INEC chairman from office. The President’s reassurance came at a time when speculation was rife that government had perfected plans to remove Jega. But some stakeholders who spoke after the interview had dismissed the President’s reassurances as needless, adding that the laws of the land do not confer on the president powers to remove the INEC chairman.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the Supervising Minister of Information, Mr. Edem Duke, had also said the President had no plan to sack Jega.
“On the issue of the INEC chairman, I align myself with what the President said that he has no plan to sack the INEC chairman.
“That is not to say that if it is time for the INEC chairman to naturally exit his office, then the natural course of things will not take place.
“It is like saying a civil servant has done 35 years or achieved the age of 60; we now begin to say that he must not retire or he must retire,” Duke had said.
However, the minster drew parallels between Jega’s conditions of service and those of civil servants, reigniting speculation that the Presidency might go ahead with the plan to remove Jega.
Earlier, there had been reports that Prof. Femi Mimiko, brother of the Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, had been pencilled in for the position but investigations by our correspondents showed that the former Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State was no longer in contention.
Sources said the national commissioners that might take over from Jega could come from a list made up of Dr. Mohammed Wali from Sokoto State, Mrs. Amina Zakari from Jigawa State, Colonel Mohammed Kurmi Hammanga (rtd.) from Adamawa State and Dr. Ishmael Igbani from Rivers State.
It was learnt that the person that would take over would act as chairman till June 30 when the tenure of Jega would expire.
The Federal Government, it was learnt, had decided against appointing an ‘outsider’ because preparations for the elections had reached an advanced stage.
Investigations further showed that the FG had yet to decide on whether to appoint the acting chairman from the North-West, where Jega hails from or to take the post to another zone.
It was learnt that Wali and Zakari were shortlisted because they hailed from the North-West.
Igbani and Hammanga were included on the list because of the argument among some top government officials that the INEC chairmanship should not be subjected to the principle of zoning.
A top Federal Government official, on Saturday, said, “None of the commissioners have been informed because the government has not decided whether to retain the post in the North-West or take it to another zone.
“The terminal leave letter that the All Progressives Congress senators were talking about has not been written, but I cannot deny the fact that government wants Jega to proceed on terminal leave.
“Anytime the letter is written and Jega gets it, it will contain the name of the person he will hand over to.”
It was learnt that the government officials, who advocated that one of the INEC commissioners should be appointed, argued that with less than three weeks to the elections, getting Jega’s replacement from outside of the commission could be complicated.
A top government official, who is privy to the discussions in government circles in relating to Jega’s fate, said, “Time is of the essence. The truth is, if you bring someone from outside, he or she will need time to understand the place and know what is happening. It will be difficult for such a person to fully understand what is on the ground.
“However, if we get someone who is already within the system, it will be easier for the person to identify areas where errors were made and correct them within the time left.
“There are also those who are making a case for a neutral person. This set of people argue that after all, Jega himself was brought in from outside and he did a good job of the 2011 elections.”
Several calls and a text message to the Special Assistant (Media and Communications) to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Sam Nwaobasi, were not replied. Reports have said Jega’s terminal leave letter was written by the SGF.
Also, attempts to reach the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters Prof. Rufai Alkali and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe were unsuccessful. Calls to their mobile phone indicated that it was unreachable. A response to text messages sent to them were still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, could not be reached as his telephone lines were not connecting. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
it is very unfortunate that the PDP led federal government cannot be trusted, so they Postpone the election by 6 weeks, only to replace the Umpire before the elections.
ReplyDeletethe more they do things like this, the more i want to vote for the APC.
WELL SPOKEN!!!
DeleteMarch4Buhari
ReplyDeleteThis will finally nail pdpigs coffin. It will be a huge mistake.
ReplyDeleteWe r seriously watching dis clueless govt..
ReplyDeleteU will soon, march for bring my papa and mama back fools, PDP don't even have APC time
ReplyDeleteJonathan's desperation is horrible.
ReplyDeleteyou can't by GOD grace!!!
ReplyDeleteAPC why are you insisting on Jega, I think what should bother you is the election on the 28 th March who ever the unpaired is , unless you are confirming that Jega has promised to rig the election in your Favour, or are you confirming the meeting of APC and Jega at Dubie
ReplyDeleteWhat if Jega has refused to rig in favour PDP. Could be the reason they want him out. They want one who will do their bidding.
DeleteGej, dare not touch Jega until his tenure naturally expires in June otherwise you will be in for good trouble. Why do you always go against the North? You hijacked our turn,you are not satisfied,you sacked our ministers at random,you are not ok,you sacked the CBN governor,you are still not ok. Now, is to remove Jega before his serves out his tenure because he refused to rig this 2015 elections in pdp's way as usual. Try it. Wa La ih. Every Northern should rise against this move and resist it in its entirety. This is an embarrassment to the North and it will never be accepted. We are watching you.
DeleteHmmm. why the clamor to remove jega at this crucial moment. was it not the same jega that presided over Ekiti election? when things favor's PDP, Jega is the right man for the job. As it is now GEJ is on the verge of making history as the first incumbent democratic president to be humiliated out of office via credible election just as his handlers and the sinking PDP now see nothing good about JEGA. it is glaring that at this juncture of Nigeria's political history, CHANGE is inevitable. JEGA's removal wold not only truncate our democracy, it would lay a solid foundation for anarchy, pandemonium and unprecedented pre & post election violence in our beloved country.
DeleteJEGA has to go because he has been compromised with APC....though his retirement leave is due but even without that,he has failed by telling Nigerians he was ready to conduct the February 14th Election whereas Millions of Nigerians have not yet gotten their PVC's....Even till now,people are yet to get their PVC's...
ReplyDeleteThis government in corrupt and will do anything to heat up our polity. Why remove Jega? What has he done wrong? Because he cannot be twisted to rig the election by PDP? Or because he introduced technology to make rigging by the incumbents impossible? I've never said or felt this way before but I hate PDP, it'd leadership and everyone associated with this sham and gang of corrupt people called PDP! I'm apolitical and I'm not interested in any specific party but voting for PDP will amount to the betrayal of my conscience. Nigerians vote for the party you want based on how you want your life and those of your children to be. I may hate PDP but you can vote for them if you think they can make your life better this way.
ReplyDeleteJega is bias
ReplyDeleteTime to go dear jega,
ReplyDeletejega is corupt and he is in corupt government so y must he be remove let d track keep movin
ReplyDeleteDnt even know why the left JEGA for so long, he has over stayed in that office.
ReplyDeletePDP games is increasing the popularity of Buhari everyday.
ReplyDeleteBut why now?
ReplyDeleteBuhari is a dunce, let him address Nigerians
ReplyDeleteWhether Jega is there or not is not the issue. What matters most is a free, fair and credible election. If Jega is replace and his successor come up with plans that will undermine the integrity of the elections, then GEJ & co will have themselves to blame. If however measures are employed to boost the quality of the election, then we will all be happy for it. God bless Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteGEJ is very active , we appreciate all his effort to flush detractors and bias APC representative in his Govt. Jega should immediately proceed to leave becos of compromise. We must vote for PDP to continue its good work.
ReplyDelete