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Tag: Jega

  • Lawmaker dedicates victory to Buhari, Jonathan, Jega, Tinubu

    Lawmaker dedicates victory to Buhari, Jonathan, Jega, Tinubu

    A member of the House of Representatives and former governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the June 21, 2014 election in Ekiti State, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has congratulated the President-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari over his landslide victory in last Saturday’s presidential elections.

    In a press release made available to The Nation, Hon. Bamidele described it as “a brilliant outing by Nigerians whose determination to liberate themselves from the untold hardship and sheer misrule that characterized the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hegemony in Nigeria is worthy of celebration.”

    Bamidele, who returned back to the All Progressives Congress Congress (APC) as the campaign for the elections got underway, called on the President-elect to regard the victory as a God-given opportunity to provide a most unique and transformative leadership to the nation. He added that Gen. Buhari should not renege on his promise to ensure a zero level of tolerance for corruption and to commit himself to the security and welfare of Nigerians on assumption of office. The lawmaker said, otherwise, the efforts of all lovers of democracy at home and abroad to support his bid for the presidency will be in vain.

    He said: “In the same vein, I urge Gen. Buhari neither to allow himself to be distracted nor dissipate so much energy in probing past leaders and administrations, but rather encourage those who have looted public treasury to re-invest such money in the local economy with a view to generating more opportunities for massive employment and financial stability.

    “His most urgent assignment must be to concentrate on the critical need to assemble a highly professional and resourceful economic team that has the capacity to rescue the nation’s economy from the doldrums within a reasonable space of time, as the poverty condition among the people of this country is no more tolerable and requires an urgent intervention. He needs this crack economic team to complement his strict leadership posturing in order to move the nation forward.

    Bamidele also congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan for his spirit of sportsmanship. “He has demonstrated that he has the spirit of a good sportsman and has acted in the interest of peace, progress and unity of our dear nation. The issue at stake is beyond Gen. Buhari and President Jonathan as it is essentially about the sustainability of our democracy as a nation and the need for us to demonstrate to the rest of the world that Nigeria has come of age and has set her foot on the right path in terms of commitment to global best democratic practice standard.”

    He described the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, and the National Leader of the APC Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as men who would go down in history as defenders of democracy. He said Prof. Jega is a man whose integrity and strength of character “became the blood and tonic that sustained the electoral process.”

    He also described Asiwaju Tinubu as the foremost opposition leader whose selfless and resourceful efforts gave rise to the new Nigeria everyone is celebrating today. He added: “Tinubu was once referred to as ‘the last man standing’ when he was the only surviving governor following the so-called ‘electoral tsunami’ that swept away his counterparts in the Southwest geo-political region in the 2003 general elections.

    “Tinubu did not only leave progressive legacies of socio-economic transformation in Lagos State, but went back to the trenches to rescue the rest of the Southwest region from the PDP between 2003 and 2011 in a tumultuous legal and political battle of heroic dimension.”

  • Jega’s finest hour as Nigerian victory

    Nigerians have little faith in their institutions. Except perhaps for the church, today headed by prosperity prophets, who have taken over the socio- economic role the state should perform in society; all other institutions are facing crisis of credibility. The bureaucracy is so powerful that it controls the water we drink, the air we breathe, the education of our children; where to live and where to be buried.

    Recently, a theft of N5billion pension fund was perpetrated inside the office of the Head of service just as another director in charge of the police, the most important organ of state, stole over N32b. The legislature has become a parasite living on the sweat and blood of those they are elected to protect through humane enacted laws. The judiciary is for the highest bidder. Those who allegedly stole N1.6 trillion are not in chains but in government because the outgoing President Jonathan government says ‘the wheel of justice grinds slowly in Nigeria’. Until now the picture of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that Nigerians had was that of an umpire that often takes side with one of the competing teams if the price was right.

    But with commitment and strength of character, Jega changed that picture leading to the miracle of 28th March 2015. On that day, Nigerians came out in their millions, waited for hours in the sun, others in the rain, determined to cast their vote because unlike the inglorious moment in the First Republic when Chief Remi Fani Kayode said his party would win whether the people voted for it or not, Nigerians trusted Jega and believed their vote would count. He has not let those who put their trust in him down.  For Nigerian, it is the dawn on a new day. For the first time in the history of our nation, an incumbent president was defeated ‘round and square,’ through a process that was so transparent that the President could not have been anything but magnanimous in defeat to promptly congratulate the victor.

    The battle against forces of darkness that swore to rule for sixty years or pull the nation down on their head had been fierce.  Jega’s most potent weapons were the millions of Nigerians he was able to convince that sacrificing quality time to secure their PCVs, wait patiently for hours on a queue on the election day refusing to be disfranchised by enemies of our nation, spend their resources to rent generators, canopies, chairs or buy refreshments for their compatriots were worthy endeavours for sustenance of the soul of our nation. Thousands of our young corpers who spent Friday and Saturday nights sleeping in mosquito infested open field and unable to take their bath for two days made the sacrifice because of their faith that Jega’s efforts would bring a better tomorrow.

    It is gratifying to know that the current INEC is Nigerian made. It is made up of patriotic individual Nigerians. I was filled with admiration as I watched Kayode Idowu, the chief spokesman for the INEC chairman, who appeared not to have slept for days, educating Nigerians on the need for patience and understanding on Channels Television last Sunday. There were many voting locations with neither INEC officials nor INEC voting materials. But Nigerians remained resolute having realized that INEC was engaged in a battle of wits with those who worked assiduously to ensure its failure. At the end, their resilience and patience paid off. Those who had thought Nigerians especially the middle class would give up after a few hours were disappointed. Many in their sixties and seventies patiently waited on Saturday and those who had roles to perform in their churches on the palm Sunday returned briefly to vote when voting started before returning back to their churches.

    The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) said in preliminary findings that the vote was “conducted in a peaceful atmosphere within the framework that satisfactorily meets the continental and regional principles of democratic elections”. This is a credit to Jega and Nigerians who have faith in him. Except in the south south where militants, both young and old, often resort to self-help and Lagos where enemies of Nigeria were bent on truncating the transition, the election went smoothly everywhere. INEC’s success came after a hard fought battle with formidable foes beginning with the president, his errand boys and errant elders, his attack dogs, PDP Boko Haram insurgents and the Niger Delta militants whose leader Godsday Orubaba, a former minister of Niger Delta put up a show of shame on Tuesday in the full glare of national and international audience in a futile attempt to derail the transition.

    Of course Jega survived all his foes including President Jonathan, his greatest detractor who without proof claimed non indigenes in Lagos were being discriminated against by INEC in the distribution of PCVs; PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu told a delegation of Africa Union election observers led by AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi that his party objected to the use of card readers because  “the machine may not make for credible elections as it is said to easily malfunction especially when the battery is weak”; a former Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who spoke on behalf of Southern Leaders Forum insisted  there would be no election except Jega quits  and in fact, calls for his sack and arrest. There was also the National co-coordinator of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) Otunba Gani Adams, who wanted Atthiru Jega removed ‘on the basis of PVC distribution and introduction of card reader’

    There were also 15 political parties that opposed the use of the card readers because “if the card reader should develop some technical problems, there is a possibility that the consequences of such development would affect about forty) or fifty percent of the polling booths nationwide. The national chairman of MEGA Progressive Peoples Party, Dare Falade; the presidential candidate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria, Kelvin Alagoa; and the presidential candidate of the Alliance represented them. Rafiu Salau amongst others represented them.

    The churches were not left out. There was Bishop Abraham Chris Udeh, the General Overseer of Mount Zion Global Faith Liberation Ministries, Nnewi, Amambra state, who had a vision that Jega must be removed. Buffeted and bedeviled by the typical Nigerian problems, INEC has emerged a new Nigerian successful brand and one institution that have made Nigerians proud. Jega’s joy for ending our long nightmare, I am sure will have no bounds. It is his victory as much as it is Nigerian victory.

  • PDP agent declines signing result sheet

    PDP agent declines signing result sheet

    The Peoples Democratic Party agent, Dr. Bello Fadile, declined to append his signature on the final result sheet announced by the Independent National Electoral Commssion (INEC) Wednesday in Abuja.

    The result sheet was signed by all party agents except the PDP.

    Jega however declared Buhari as the winner of the election.

    Fadile, who merely shook Jega’s hand, said he had “no instruction to sign the result sheet.”

  • Jega aborts PDP’s plot to annul poll results

    Former Niger Delta Affairs Minister Elder Godsday Peter Orubebe failed yesterday to stir up trouble at the collation of Saturday’s presidential election results in Abuja.

    Orubebe and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agents were, apparently, planning to abort the process.

    But Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman  Prof. Attahiru Jega was calm all through.

    Shortly before the resumption of collation of results at about 11.15am, Orubebe raised a point of observation. Jega obliged. The ex-minister got the microphone and launched into a bitter criticisms of the process. He kicked against INEC’s decision to probe alleged election malpractices in Rivers State.

    He also accused Jega of making the results of the Presidential Election available to the All Progressives Congress( APC).

    At about 11.34am, Orubebe moved to the red platform where the results were being collated and hurled abuses at Jega.

    Though agents are barred from getting to the platform, a charged Orubebe, who was wearing a ash colour blazer with a black hat, sat on the red carpet about 10 meters to Jega and started screaming.

    He was later joined by the second agent of PDP, Dr. Bello Fadile, in challenging Jega.

    Apparently acting a script for some forces, one of them was intermittently receiving calls in the midst of the confusion they created.

    The more the calls came in, the more Orubebe was emboldened to charge at Jega.

    The drama left National Commissioners bewildered but Jega remained calm and insisted that the collation must go on.

    He ignored Oribebe’s demand to suspend the collation and return to the office to investigate PDP’s petition(s) on results from Kano, Jigawa and other states in the Northwest.

    Orubebe, who was blocked by a police officer from advancing towards Jega on the platform, said the PDP had lost confidence in Jega.

    He said: “We have lost confidence in what you are doing. We have lost confidence in what you are doing. If we can send a protest and you cannot take that protest then what are we doing here. The essence of sending any protest is to enable you to look at the matter and see whether it has merit or demerit.

    “But when APC brought their own, you went all out to send a delegation to Port Harcourt. We have complained about Kano, we have complained about Katsina, we have complained about Kaduna, and Jigawa you have not done anything.

    “Mr. Chairman, we are not going to take that, we have lost confidence  in you because you are partial, you are selective. We don’t believe in you any more. We don’t believe in you any more. We cannot go on the way you are going because you have compromised. You have compromised. You have compromised and we are not going to take it from you, until something is done on our letters, we will not continue with you.

    “Until you do something to our letter the way you did to APC, we will not continue with you. That is our stand, we will not. Until you do something the way you did to APC we will not continue with you.”

    Orubebe resisted attempts to collect the microphone from him.

    He added: “The press should look at this ( a purported result sheet) is already printed. We can not take it. You are tribalistic, you are selective. You are tribalistic, you are selective, you are partial; we will not take it from you.

    “Until something is done to our protest we will not allow you to continue with this. You will not. We will not allow it. Nigerians will not allow this. Nigerians will not allow this. This matter must be taken seriously; we will not allow it. We will not allow it. Look at the result that has already been printed by Jega and APC. Look at it. The press should take it. This is already printed by Jega and APC. We will not take it. Look At it. This was done yesterday, this was done yesterday.

    “We will not take it, we will not take it. No please. No please; this is the way Jega understand. We will not take it until something is done.

    “Until something is done. We went to Jega to complain, he did not take it; we went to him quietly, he did not take it because he was compromised. Jega had to send his people to return our protest to us. Jega had to return our protest Please, leave me, Please, leave me. Please, don’t come near me, if you need peace in this country; don’t come near me. Jega is tribalistic and partial; we will not take it. We will not take it. Let him check Kano result, let him check Kaduna result, we sent him our protest Jega didn’t take it.

    “When it came to Rivers State, he was hurrying going to Rivers State. We cannot take it. We are not fighting; we will not take it.

    “Jega, do something. Let him set up a committee. Let Jega set up a committee to go to Kano,to go to Katsinan, to go to Kaduna, to go to Jigawa; otherwise we will not take it.

    “Jega is tribalistic, he is partial he is selective, we will not take it. That is not what the constitution empower him to do for this electoral process.”

    All moves by Jega to prevail on Orubebe were rebuffed.

    The following altercations occurred between Jega and Orubebe.

    Jega: Mr Orubebe

    Orubebe: This country belongs to everybody. Jega cannot take us for granted. We will not take we will not allow it. Jega has nothing to say here, let him go back to his office to set up a committe for Kaduna, Kano.

    Jega has nothing to say here; he did not come here before he did something about Rivers State; let him go to his office. I will not leave here.

    (Jega: Please, may I respond)

    Orubebe roared: You can not respond here; you can not respond here, you cannot respond here. You did not come here to respond on the issue of Rivers State. You can not respond here; he cannot respond here.

    Jega: You have …

    Orubebe: You cannot respond here. In Rivers State, he did it in your office; let him go to his office and respond there.

    Jega: You have laid some allegations but…

    Orubebe: Go to your office and respond. Tell him to go to his office and respond to our protest. Let him go to his office and respond to our protest.

    Jega: But you made them here.

    Orubebe: You cannot respond here. In Rivers State he did it in his office; let him go to his office and respond and respond to our protest.

    “We quietly gave it to him in his office. Tell him to go to his office. Prof. Jega, please go to your office. Go to you office and do what you did in Rivers State. We can’t take; we cannot take it. He cannot do it here, he cannot do it here.

    He cannot do it here. He did it in his office; he cannot do it here. In the case of Rivers, he did it in his office, he should go to his office. Let him go to his office and do it.

    “We complained to him quietly; he refused it. He even had to send somebody to throw the papers at us.we won’t take it.”

    When another agent rose up to challenge him, Orubebe retorted: “Is Jega not present? What is wrong with you? What is wrong with you? Jega is not empowered by the constitution to be selective, to be partial; he is not empowered by the constitution to be tribalistic. That is not the power given to Jega.

    “Anyway, the point I want to make; this thing cannot continue. If Jega wants to continue I will come back here. If Jega wants to continue, I will come back here.

    Jega: can you please call the next person.

    Orubebe: Prof. Jega, you cannot continue. You cannot continue. You said you are going to respond to the issue. Prof. Jega you cannot continue. You cannot. Why is he not responding? Why did he not respond to our protest? Why did he not respond to our protest?

    Why did Jega not respond to our protest? Why is Jega not responding to our protest? When it was APC, he was quick to respond. We protested to Jega yesterday; he threw the protest at us.

    “The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria did not empower Jega to be selective, to be partial. . Jega is tribalistic and we will not take it.

    Dr. Bello Fadile said: “ Chairman sir, I think you should speak on this result we have here. If you compare with the results you have released, it is the same thing with the one that had been released and similarly with the ones here. We don’t know of the ones that have not been released.

    “The ones that have been released are similar with the one here from the situation room of APC. That is our point. Who gave them this? How did they come about this result?  We have seen the ones that have been released are the same with those that are  here from some of the states. We have compared them and that is why we are raising observations.”

    Jega was, however, cool and confident when he responded to issues raised by Orubebe and Fadile.

    He denied either refusing to accept PDP’s petition or giving results to APC.

    Jega’s cogent and lengthy explanation earned him applause from all at the NCC.

    The response left Orubebe humbled and sober when the collation of results resumed.

    Jega said: “ You made two points. One is that you submitted a petition which I refused to accept. Secondly, you claimed that there was a result released by the APC which you alleged we gave to them or I gave to them.

    “With regards to the first point, yesterday, after we went through the first batch of results and as we declared a recess until 4pm, as I was walking down back to the office, my PA came to me and said that here are some papers that Dr. Bello Fadile, a representative of the PDP, said he should collect it  and he said Dr. Fadile said I should give him those papers.

    “ I told him I did not tell Fadile to give any paper to him. I asked him to  return the papers because Fadile after we declared recess came on to this platform(as a party agent, he is not supposed to do that) and gave some documents to my PA, who is writing returns here. And I am sure some of the agents and some of the press men must have seen that. And I told my PA,  give back those documents to Fadile if he told you I told him that you should collect it; I did not. Return it to them.

    “Subsequently, Fadile sent me a text  message saying that there were petitions, and he wants to submit them. I told him we don’t collect petitions on a platform when we are declaring results. Then  he now said I should have left my office open so that  they can submit those petitions in my office. I told him that the Secretary to the Commission is not here in this  hall, she  is in her office. And her  business is to receive communications. If hey are important enough, she will bring them to me here.

    “ I have started collation, I cannot be receiving  petitions in this hall and on this platform. And when I replied that text message, he  replied again and said  ‘okay’  he  will see what  he can do, which I interpreted to mean that he was going to take that petition or whatever document he had to the Secretary to the commission.

    “ As I speak with you now, I have not  received anything from the Secretary to the commission. That is with regards with the issue of the so-called petition.

    “With regards to what you said about  results allegedly published by the APC on its website, I do not give results to anybody. The results will be announced formally by INEC as declared here. I have warned everybody to be careful  and to ensure that  they do not  dignify results which we have not officially announced.

    “So,  as  far as I am concerned, I have  not seen any results. I have not given anybody any results. For you to even engage me on that issue, I think frankly it is not fair to me. I have not seen any results; how can I speak about something I have not seen?

    “Let us be careful about what we say or do and let us not disrupt a process that has ended peacefully and in a matter of hours, we will be able to finish it. Mr. Orubebe, you were a former Minister of the Federal Republic; you are a statesman in your own right;  you should be careful about what you say or what allegations or  accusations you make and certainly you should be careful  about your public conduct.”

     

  • No reason to cancel Rivers election – INEC

    No reason to cancel Rivers election – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has acknowledged receiving a petition from the All Progressive Congress on Sunday seeking the cancellation of the last Saturday election.

    “Sunday morning, I received a petition from @APCNigeria demanding for the cancellation & rescheduling of elections.

    “I circulated this memo to the Committee. We reviewed it and set up a 3 man Committee to Rivers and returned this morning with their observations.

    “There were a number of points as to why the Commission should cancel/reschedule elections:

    1) No elections, 2) No result sheets and 3) Substitutions of officials.

    “We cannot establish any cancellation or substitution of results and we sent a list of collation officers to the state.

    “Officials fail to show up to work for several reasons and it is up to the REC to substitute from the pool of officials they have.

    “We do not believe the allegations are substantial enough to require the cancellation/rescheduling of the elections in Rivers.

    “The decision of the Commission is that we will take the results of the elections in Rivers state.

    “We have taken measures to make sure that reoccurrences do not occur in the future,” Jega said.

  • INEC declares official results in 9 states

    INEC declares official results in 9 states

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has so far announced the results of the elections held last Saturday in 9 states.

    According to INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega on Monday, the results from the remaining states would be announced when it reconvene by 8pm.

    “We will allow sufficient time for the others to come so we’ll have more results. I suggest we convene at 8pm, “Jega said.

  • Jega has improved electoral process, says expert

    Jega has improved electoral process, says expert

    A former Commissioner of Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Alhaji Musibau Oyefeso, has hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the novel ideas it introduced in this year’s election.

    Speaking with reporters after voting at his polling unit in Idimu, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, Oyefeso said from his observation so far, INEC deserved praises for coming up with measures to curb rigging and bring about credible election.

    Oyefeso, who was LASIEC’s Head of Operations and Logistics Committee, said not minding the teething problems recorded, INEC nonetheless performed well, considering the comprehensive view of the  process.

    He said: “To me, I want to believe that INEC has tried because they have introduced so many new things into the electoral system. The issue of the Card reader and Permanent Voters Card (PVC) are lofty ideas.  They are novel practices and so you are bound to have teething problems.

    “I believe if INEC is to do this election in 2019, they would have perfected the system. So, for now, I want to award INEC pass mark even as much as 65 percent.”

    On logistics problems, Oyefeso admitted that more need to be done to perfect electoral process, especially in the areas of conveying electoral materials from one point to another and the issue of ad-hoc staff, who he said are not permanent but temporary staff.

    He lauded the decision of INEC to extend the accreditation and voting exercise, but urged the political parties to monitor the process strictly to guide against rigging and electoral fraud.

    “I believe INEC has started with the electronic process. They have started with the electronic compilation of the voters register. They have complemented it now with the PVC, which is also an electronic instrument.

    “In the next election, I think we should be able to do electronic voting which will be the final stage and after electronic voting, there will be electronic compilation. So, I believe with everything now going through the electronic system, it will be better,” he said.

  • INEC not under pressure to declare poll inconclusive, says Jega

    INEC not under pressure to declare poll inconclusive, says Jega

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega on Sunday  said the agency  was not under pressure to declare the results of Saturday’s  Presidential and National Assembly elections inconclusive.
    He also said the collation and release of the results  of the elections will begin on Monday.
    Jega said the results from two states were received Sunday night although reports indicated that the ongoing collation process had reached 80 per cent and 90 per cent in some states.
    He however dismissed claims by the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council that the party was leading in 23 states.
    Jega, who made the submissions, at a briefing in Abuja on the status of the outcome of Saturday’s elections, said contrary to insinuations, the Card Readers worked in most of the nation’s 150,000 Polling Units.
    He said failure of Card Readers was recorded in 374 Polling Units out of 150,000 in the country.
    “We are not under any pressure to declare elections inconclusive. I wonder who will be interested in declaring inconclusive election. I want to believe that candidates would have wanted to be declared winners and not to have an election being declared inconclusive. Really, there is no truth whatsoever to that. “
    The INEC chairman said the collation and release of results would begin today(Monday).
    He said only results of two states were ready as at press time.

  • Jega: An umpire’s date with history

    Jega: An umpire’s date with history

    A university don, pro-democracy activist and Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is walking on a tight rope. The electoral agency under his watch is on the weighing scale. Will he survive the electoral tempest? Will the commission live up to expectation?

    The seat was hot for his predecessors-Eyo Esua, Michael Ani, Ovie-Whiskey, Eme Awa, Humphrey Nwosu, Okom, Dagogo Jack, Ephraim Akpata, Abel Guobadia and Maurice Iwu. Today, the seat is hotter, owing to the dynamics of politics, stiff competition for power, political antagonism and growing electoral corruption, intolerance and gross violation of electoral due process. Reminiscent of the earlier dispensations, elections, rather than being a festival of choice and change, are a nightmare.

    The INEC boss is conscious of the weight of historic responsibilities on his shoulders. The eyes of the political class and the international community are on him. To observers, he is a key player in an election that has been described as a make or mar exercise. Due to the contradiction in the polity and the perception of election as war by critical stakeholders, Jega carries a national burden. On many occasions, he has reiterated his determination to conduct credible elections. “I can assure you that we will do everything humanly possible to deliver a free and fair election,” he said in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It is an irony of fate that the chief electoral officer, who was commended for conducting a transparent poll four years ago, is now being viewed with suspicion by both the ruling and opposition parties.

    To rekindle public trust and confidence, Jega said the electoral agency will not compromise its integrity. He said INEC officials will demonstrate patriotism and ensure the credibility of the electoral process. Unscrupulous officials, he said, would be shown the way out. In the face of multiple challenges and barriers erected by stakeholders with competing political interests, the commission has been up and doing. But, when Jega  rose swiftly to assert the independence of the electoral body, reality dawned on him that the commission still has a long way to go.

    Jega has been a household name in Nigeria before he became the 11th umpire. He has served as the Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano. He is also the former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). In the human rights community, he is a vocal voice. Under the Yar’Adua Administration, Jega also served as a member of the Electoral Reforms Committee led by the former Chief Justice of the Federation, Mohammed Uwais. But, his job as the chief electoral officer of the nation is the most challenging.

    Many Nigerians hailed his appointment in 2010. Reflecting on his appointment, former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and House of Representatives member Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, who shared the same cell with him when they were detained by the military, said many were surprised by the appointment. “It was either the President meant serious business or he did not know what he was doing when he appointed him,” he said.

    His first baptism of fire came in 2011. He nearly lost the opportunity to write his name in gold. Four hours after the commencement of the polls, the Chairman cancelled the exercise. It had flopped in many states. There were cries of despair by voters. Many voters complained about shoddy preparation for the exercise. In many polling units, officials did not turn up for the electoral duty. In others, they came late. There were complaints about shortage of personnel and polling materials. Within two weeks, the mistakes were corrected. Unlike the 2007, which was acknowledged as a severely flawed exercise by the late President Yar’Adua, the 2011 poll was applauded.

    Basking in the euphoria of the success, INEC has also conducted parliamentary by-elections and governorship polls in Anambra, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun, with varying degrees of controversy.

    However, today’s elections are a turning point. Some loopholes have been exploited to discredit the agency. The controversy over the distribution of Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) and card readers was deliberately fuelled to convey the impression that INEC was not ready for the election. When the exercise kicked off nation-wide, it was a disaster. The All Progressives Congress (APC) cried foul, saying that there was a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise registered voters in its strongholds. In the North, there were even allegations that people were collecting PVCs by proxy.

    Also, PDP Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, had an axe to grind with the commission. He alleged that non-indigenes, who he said, were in the majority, were being denied PVCs in Lagos, adding that the scenario is the same in other APC states.

    When the commission came up with the idea of card readers, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) raised an objection. However, INEC overcame the challenge when the test-run was successful. When Jega tried to convince skeptics about the commission’s preparations and readiness, insecurity, which was outside INEC’s purview, came to the front burner. Nigerians were shocked when service chiefs said that they could not guarantee security for INEC officials and voters in the Northeast, which has been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The Federal Government demanded for a six-week postponement. Jega was under pressure to postpone the election. When he mustered the strength to assert his independence, he became a subject of blackmail. PDP leaders, including Senator Edwin Clark, Dr. Doyin Okupe, and Femi Fani-Kayode, alleged that Jega was acting the script of the APC. The umpire was compelled to surrender and the poll was postponed.

    When the poll was shifted, it was feared that riots might break out in the North. But, the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, pacified his supporters. Criticisms trailed the polls shift. APC alleged that the PDP influenced INEC to shift the exercise to avert imminent electoral defeat. But, PDP chieftains fired back, saying that INEC was not ready.

    Shortly after the postponement, the agitation for Jega’s sack by the PDP chieftains assumed a new dimension. Clark said that INEC had sold out to the opposition, thereby forfeiting public confidence. But, members of the civil society groups rejected the agitations, saying that it was devoid of logic. Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), pointed out that Jega’s five-year tenure as the INEC chairman enjoyed the backing of the law.

    Last week,  another coup against the electoral process was in the offing. The Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Kenneth Minimah, said the onus was on INEC to decide on whether to conduct elections in three local governments in Northeast states because, despite their liberation from the Boko Haram sect, the governance structures germane to peaceful elections were still absent. But, according to observers, INEC jettisoned pressures to shift the polls again in utter sensitivity to public mood.

    As the first leg of the elections kicks off today, there are some mistakes the commission must avoid. INEC has a duty to properly organise the poll without compromising ethics and sacrificing the rules of the game on the altar of partisanship. Many election observers have pointed out that, while election can be free and fair at the level of voting and counting at the polling units, electoral fraud can be committed at the level of collation of results at the collation centres. According to the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER), a transparent election is possible, if the officials exhibit patriotism and candour in the discharge of their duties. Its convener, Ayo Opadokun, warned that the exercise can be hijacked and manipulated at the polling unit, local, state and national collation centres. He urged returning officers to avoid any break or adjournment during collation because it can be exploited to declare false results.

    During the Anambra State governorship elections, there were no result sheets in many polling units. Many officials also reported late for the assignment in many local governments. Where the officials reported for the exercise, they did not show up with the non-negotiable polling materials. Voters were disillusioned. Many returned home in protest. Later, the commission shifted the exercise in some units till the next day.

    Elections have become a burden in Nigeria, owing to the do-or-die contest, thuggery and violence. Ahead of the polls, there is tension.  According to observers, troops deployment, in defiance of court rulings, may scare away votes. This may result in low turn out of voters in some communities.

    Many electoral observers have wondered why the INEC is reluctant to invoke the various provisions in the constitution against electoral malpractices. Electoral officers who act in concert with politicians and the police to commit atrocities against the ballot box should be prosecuted.

    Jega’s staying power has been his integrity. Will his integrity still be intact after today’s polls?  Can INEC weather the storm? Everybody watches.

  • Expect results of Polls In 48 hours – Jega

    Expect results of Polls In 48 hours – Jega

    Going by the assurance from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, results of the presidential and National assembly elections will be declared within 48 hours.

    Jega who disclosed this Friday in Abuja during a joint press conference alongside the Director General of the National Youth Service Commission (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi noted that the commission has put a lot in place to ensure the 48hours target was met.

    He said the commission is making all efforts to ensure that results are disclosed much earlier than in 2011.

    Jega also denied the report making the rounds that the Commission’s database has been compromised.

    INEC Boss in an apparent reaction to an allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council that the master key was in possession of the APC, said only the producers of the data base infrastructure of INEC have the source code.

    He further said that the company, Act Technologies Limited, was approved by Federal Executive Committee and was never blacklisted.

    While also describing the allegations as baseless, Jega however regretted that it has the propensity to threaten the credibility of the election.

    Defending the choice of the firm, Jega said it went through all the expected checks before it was awarded the contract to develop the database.

    He said “it is regrettable that it is a pity that people can say all sorts of things and get away freely with it.  “it is a last minute attempt to undermine the credibility of the elections.”

    Jega also cleared the air on his disagreement on the issue of voters having to wait after casting their ballot or go home as advised by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba.

    Jega noted that his stand was not a sign of disagreement with the police but that voters should have the choice of waiting or staying after casting their votes.

    Explaining further that the presence of voters during the counting of votes would enhance the credibility of the polls.

    INEC Chairman also urged corp members drafted for the elections to take the assignment with all seriousness it deserves, noting that their security and welfare has been taken care of.

    He hailed the role of Corps members in enhancing the electoral process.

    On his part, the DG of the NYSC, urged the corp members to handle the assignment with high integrity.

    He urged them to stay away from any temptation that may tarnish the image of the scheme, families and nation.

    The DG also assured Corp members of their welfare and security, noting that while INEC has disbursed 100 percent for the corp members, the NYSC has disbursed 50 percent of that amount pending the completion of their assignment.

    He underscored that the decision to give them some part of the money was to enable them resist temptations from politicians to compromise.

    He said the nonpayment of corp members allowance is now a thing of the past.