Parties kick as plot to sack Jega thickens

The plot to sack the Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral
Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, is
gathering momentum, The PUNCH
investigations have revealed.
Jega’s tenure ends on June 30 but
his traducers, especially some
Peoples Democratic Party
members, are already compiling
what they described as his ‘sins’ to
ensure that he proceeds on
terminal leave before the March 28
and April 11 elections.
Findings on Monday revealed that
the “sins,” include alleged transfer
of some INEC officials considered
close to them out of their
departments where their input
might not be useful in the conduct
of the elections.
It was also gathered that the PDP
members, who are close to the
Presidency, feel that Jega is
becoming unapproachable on
issues.
A source in the Presidency, who did
not want his name in print, said
that the reason the INEC boss gave
for the postponement of the
elections had negatively affected
the credibility of the Presidency
and the PDP.
He said, “The way Jega spoke at the
press briefing where he announced
the postponement of the polls, was
meant to implicate the PDP and the
Presidency.
“This was why everybody, including
foreign governments, have been
blaming the leadership of the
country for the postponement of
the elections.
“The summary of Jega’s
presentation was that INEC was
ready but that the security
agencies, whose headships are
appointees of the President,
frustrated the commission’s desire
to hold the elections on February
14 and 28.”
He added that some national
leaders of the PDP would meet
with President Goodluck Jonathan
and members of his electioneering
team this week to review the
presidential campaign.
The meeting, according to him, will
also “discuss the wisdom in
sending Jega on terminal leave any
moment from now because of his
perceived sins.”
He added, “Close friends of the
President in the party and the
stakeholders will meet to review
the campaigns and I can tell you
that the issue about Jega matter
would certainly be discussed.
“We have received several reports
on this matter and I can assure you
that it would be looked into and a
decision taken.”
Further investigations however
showed that before the
postponement of the elections, the
military had directed its commands
nationwide to prepare operational
methodology for the exercise.
A reliable military officer told The
PUNCH in Abuja that they were
surprised to hear Jega blame the
poll postponement on the
unpreparedness of the military.
He said, “We were astonished to
hear that we were not prepared
and all that. How many officers do
we have in the North-East? How
many of our men were deployed
for the last governorship election
in Osun State? So there are things
we have not been told about the
elections.”
However, some political parties
under the aegis of the Coalition of
Progressive Political Parties, have
vowed to frustrate any attempt to
stop Jega from conducting the
elections.
They warned at a news conference
in Abuja on Monday, that Jega’s
removal would affect the
credibility of the elections.
The Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Movement, Bashir
Ibrahim, who spoke for the group,
said that though the INEC chairman
played into the hands of the PDP by
rescheduling the election dates,
“we are going to resist the move to
remove him from office.
“The role of the election
management board led by Jega in
shifting the dates of the election
may not be the best, but any move
to remove him will be resisted,”
Bashir added.
The leader of COP said that if the
INEC chairman was removed, it
would show that the shift was
engineered by the ruling PDP for
ulterior motives.
Also on Monday, a coalition of 18
civil society organisations called
for the immediate resignation of
the service chiefs “for arm-twisting
INEC’’ and for abdication of national
responsibility.
The CSOs which passed a vote of
confidence in Jega, explained that
they were calling for the
resignation of the service chiefs
because their action was “a clear
indication of the abyss to which the
military had descended to.”
The Chairman of the Transitional
Monitoring Group, Ibrahim
Zikirullahi, spoke on behalf of the
CSOs at a news conference in Abuja.
He said, “The most worrisome
reality is that the Nigerian military,
which is supposed to be
nationalistic and patriotic in
outlook, has allowed itself to be led
by those they serve for expressly
narrow interests.
“To say the least, the military has
failed the Nigerian people. It is a
betrayal of trust for the military in
connivance with the National
Security Adviser to have allowed
itself to be used to suspend
Nigeria’s electoral process.
“The grand conspiracy to arm-twist
INEC to shift the 2015 general
elections to satisfy narrow political
considerations is a clear indication
of the abyss to which the military
has descended.
“The claim that they will not be
able to protect INEC personnel and
materials for the polls that were to
hold on 14 and 28 February 2015, is
a national disgrace and
embarrassment.”
Zikirullahi stated that the excuse by
the military that it needed “to
concentrate on the fight against
Boko Haram, is untenable.”
He wondered the kind of magic the
Chief of Defence Staff and the NSA
wanted to perform to deal with
Boko Haram in six weeks that it
could not do in six years.
Zikirullahi added that the CDS had
in the past fed Nigerians with lies
pertaining to the ongoing fight
against insurgency and therefore
called on all security chiefs and the
NSA to bury their heads in shame
and resign.
“The Civil Society Coalition hereby
calls for their immediate
resignation, for abdicating a
national responsibility, and
attempting to drown the voices of
the Nigerian people. The current
military high command, if they still
have any iota of honour and good
conscience, should immediately
vacate their positions,” he insisted.
Zikirullahi advised Jega to resist
any attempt to push him out of
office.
“This coalition respects and
understands INEC’s position that it
was ready to go ahead with the
elections, until the military decided
to abdicate its constitutional duty,”
he stressed.
Canada expresses concern over
poll postponement
Meanwhile, Canada has expressed
concern over the postponement of
the elections by INEC.
It said that Nigerians must be
allowed to exercise their
democratic right to choose their
representatives through free, fair,
peaceful and credible elections.
A statement on Monday by the
Parliamentary Secretary to the
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
and for International Human Rights,
Deepak Obhrai, urged all
institutions of state as well as
political parties to uphold
democratic values.
The statement read, “Canada is
concerned that Nigeria’s
presidential, legislative and state
elections have been postponed.
The people of Nigeria must be
allowed to exercise their
democratic right to choose their
representatives through free, fair,
peaceful and credible elections.
“All institutions of state as well as
political parties and candidates
must uphold democratic values. It
is particularly important that
security agencies provide security
for elections in an impartial
manner, and that journalists are
allowed unfettered access in
reporting on the election process.”
NBA urges security forces
The Nigerian Bar Association urged
security agencies to prove to
Nigerians that the security advisory
on which INEC relied on to
postpone the general elections
was not a smokescreen.
NBA’s President, Augustine Alegeh
(SAN), in a statement on Monday,
said the security agencies should
confirm to Nigerians that the
advisory represented the true and
correct position of the nation’s
security forces in their efforts to rid
Nigeria of the Boko Haram
insurgency.
He challenged the security forces
to deal decisively with Boko Haram
to resolve any lingering doubts
about the security advisory.
Alegeh said, “Our security agencies
must understand the
disappointment of several groups
who have expressed their
reservations on the postponement
of the elections as a result of the
security advisory.
“The task before our security forces
now is to deal decisively with the
Boko Haram insurgency to resolve
any lingering doubts about the
good faith of the security advisory.
“If indeed the Boko Haram menace
is routed in the next six weeks all
Nigerians will then appreciate and
celebrate our security forces.”
Saying that INEC could not have
gone ahead with the elections
without security support, he
advised Jega and his team to utilise
the six-week period to resolve the
challenges surrounding the
issuance of Permanent Voter Cards.
He also said that INEC should
request the Federal Government to
declare public holidays for two days
to enable registered voters yet to
collect their PVCs to do so.
Alegeh said, “There are still about
20 million PVCs yet to be collected
by voters while some PVCs are still
being produced and/or awaiting
delivery at this time. INEC should
ensure that PVCs are produced for
all voters whose names appear in
the Voter Register.
“PVCs are central to the success of
the 2015 general elections and INEC
must apply its best endeavours to
ensure that all problems in respect
of PVCs are resolved well before
March 28, 2015.
“Our entire democratic experience
depends on the success of the
general elections and INEC must
ensure that everything necessary is
put in place for a successful poll.’’
Also, the Commonwealth Observer
Group which arrived in Nigeria on
February 7, urged all the
stakeholders to give INEC “the
support it needs to deliver these
important elections.”
“Soon after our arrival, we were
informed of the decision to
postpone these elections by six
weeks in light of the security
situation facing Nigeria. We
understand and respect this
decision, taken in difficult
circumstances,” group’s
Chairperson, Bakili Muluzi, said in a
statement.
It said it looked forward to the
rescheduled elections to enable
Nigerians to exercise their
democratic right.
The COG encouraged therefore
“the relevant authorities to do
their utmost to ensure the safety
and security of all citizens and
deliver the conditions which are
conducive for a peaceful and
credible poll.”
INEC extends PVC collection by
four weeks
INEC has again extended the
deadline for the collection of the
PVCs to March 8.
The commission’s Secretary,
Augusta Ogakwu, in a statement
on Monday said, “The collection of
the cards will continue for four
more weeks until March 8, 2015.
“INEC had on February 7
rescheduled the 2015 elections by
six weeks due to security
challenges. The commission hopes
that this extension will finally avail
every registered person yet to
collect his or her PVC the
opportunity to do so in readiness
for the general elections.”