How Jega Will Be Removed
How Jega Will Be Removed
There are indications that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, may have started clearing his table and preparing hand-over notes preparatory to the commencement of his terminal leave which is expected to begin on March 24. What this means is that Jega may not conduct the 2015 general elections despite insistence by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) that he must supervise the elections. The UNION learnt yesterday that Jega, who had severally been blamed for shoddy preparations for the election prior to the February 14 date, may actually be on his last days at the commission. It was gathered that due process will be applied in Jega’s removal as had been applied in other such circumstances including the removal of Charles Soludo as CBN governor.
According to The UNION findings, Jega, whose four-year tenure expires in June, is entitled to a renewed tenure but at the discretion of the President. Rule guiding Jega’s appointment as INEC chairman, gives the president the powers to either remove or retain him upon expiration of his tenure. However, it was learnt that if Jega was to have a renewed tenure, his name ought to have been forwarded by the Presidency to the National Assembly, for consideration, as at March 6th. “In the event that that has not been done so far, it means he is not being considered for another term of office.
That means he will have to leave by March 24”, our source which is close to the electoral commission said. According to the source, “if he does not get a letter informing him of the submission of his name for re-appointment at least two weeks to when he is supposed to commence his terminal leave, it means that he will be expected to write government informing of his decision to commence his terminal leave on March 24; if he does not write, then, he will get a letter from the office he reports to, telling him who to handover to on March 24. “If that happens, it means he will not sit in office by March 28 and April 11 when the elections will hold”, our source informed. “That is what the procedural rules say”,
On the effect this will have on the election dates, our source informed that “elections can be conducted by anyone at the commission. It is not a Jega personal affair. INEC has national commissioners and executive secretary who could handle such responsibility. Who says it must be Jega?” Jega, our source noted, is not unaware of his fate with dates which, according to him, was the reason he hurriedly fixed elections for Feb 14. “He is aware of all that and that was why he fixed the elections for February 14. Come to think of it, we have always held our elections in April since 2003. So, what was so special about this that it was brought forward to February?”, our source noted. Jega had come under serious criticisms for his alleged closeness to the opposition APC leading to calls by different groups, for his removal.
Specifically, southern leaders represented by Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Edwin Clarke and others, had at a press conference in Abuja, called for Jega’s removal over alleged connivance with the opposition party to derail the electoral process. Former Anambra State governor, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, had also stated, in an interview, that the elections may not hold until Jega was removed. According to him, Jega had compromised his position by allegedly working too closely with the APC and seeking to deliver a quarrelsome election. Though Jega had during his appearance before the National Council of State in February made specific request for extension of time for the commission to be fully prepared for the election, he however shifted the burden of responsibility to the security agencies when he told Nigerians that the commission was ready to conduct the election but for security operatives.
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