Emeka Ibemere
Rather than point fingers to the activities of Boko Haram and the Niger Delta militant activities in Nigeria, as issues that could derail the present democratic norms and destabilise the country, Nigerians are pointing to the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, as the forerunner of Nigeria’s unity or disunity.
According to them, the activities of the Commission and its boss in the next few weeks, would determine the head way for the continued existence of the chequered country-Nigeria.
INEC, a body charged with the responsibility of organizing and conducting free, fair and credible elections for the country, has since few weeks now being at crossroad, following the shoddy preparation and postponement of the 2015 election.
The present INEC under Prof Jega had also in 2011 conducted elections which its results were generally accepted without too much litigation. Last election, there were reports that the home of INEC boss was attacked by the supporters of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for declaring the 2011election result that favoured the PDP Candidate President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
For that, many Nigerians home and abroad gave him kudos. But today, the name of Jega conjures doubts, compromise, and uncertainty.
His past records seem to have been forgotten by Nigerians because of allegations of compromise and shoddy preparations to the elections.
Some Nigerians are already accusing the INEC boss of having developed cold feet at his duty place, which has made them to state that his actions has betrayed his initial courageous and consistency attitude that made him achieve victory at the last election.
Based on his inconsistency so far starting from Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC, issuance and collection to the creating of more additional polling centres in the North, the strong hold of APC, to the postponement of the election without informing the President, there lots of reasons for his critics to believe that the INEC boss is allegedly compromising his oaths office.
According to them, the sensitiveness and the strategic importance of the office of INEC Chairman at this time in history is going to make or mar Nigeria.
Earlier, before the postponement of the coming elections, the Jega had boasted of his readiness to conduct the elections with the previous time table. But his recent summersaults show that the commission was not ready for the elections.
Investigation revealed that over 50% of registered voters in southern part of the country were yet to collect their PVC, the cases of internally displaced person were not resolved and even the INEC officials to man the card reader machines were yet to be trained, a week before the planned date of election.
Barrister Temple Nnedum, National President of All State Woman Association of Nigeria World Wide, based in Lagos State said that the INEC under Prof Jega has compromised its sacred position. The elections if not postponed would have disenfranchised many eligible and willing voters across the country most especially in the Southern part.
“INEC has been as partial in their role as umpire. We noticed that in the Chairman’s body language and in his speeches, actions and programmes. We thought that President would have called him to order but that wasn’t done and they feel that they can deny us from voting”, Nnedum queried.
“Do you know that a lot of my members have not collected their PVC even myself till today. I have gone on their website and INEC, said that they have released it but we can’t find them in the council. So what is happening?
According to Barrister Nnedum, Jega was not supposed to be at the INEC as its boss again because he has failed. She queried on why INEC should release people’s PVC to other persons without the person’s authority.
“Jega’s intention is very glaring, he is supporting APC. How come that majority of non Yoruba speaking in Lagos State cannot see their PVC? Jega is not ready for free and fair election and he is not ready for the election”, she added.
“Even as we speak now, he has done everything the ways he want it to go. Telling his workers to hand over PVC of people to another person is wrong. We are calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to remove Jega”.
Another stakeholder told our reporter that Jega should use this opportunity to write his name on the sands of time by being credible in this election. Udom Emmen, an Engineer disagrees with those calling for his resignation adding that it’s going to be a time bomb.
He said Jega had good intention and that he has over the years shown his good character in national issues but warned that he shouldn’t allow politicians to dent his image in International community.
Udom said that the tension INEC has created in the postponement of the election and the game they are playing with the PVC could derail the democratic process and fulfil the devilish prediction of Nigeria’s disintegration but said the blame would go to Jega and his family.
Dipo Tokunbo, a student from Lagos State Polytechnic Isolo, also said Jega is the pivot in which Nigerian’s peace revolves at the moment and the manner and ways he went about it shall tell the future of Nigeria. He said Jega shouldn’t allow himself to be messed up by politicians who have no names and images to protect.
According to him, Jega’s name is precious in International community and wouldn’t want to derail because of his tribal or religious inclination. He has the opportunity to safe Nigeria from another political impasse and war because of the children. Tokunbo tasked Jega to be fair in this noble assignment.
Eastern Union President, Charles Anike also said Jega is the man holding the peace and disunity of the country. He likened him as a driver who has set his car in motion whose inability to control it could lead to disaster.
“Considering the aforementioned points, we call on President Jonathan to get an immediate replacement of the INEC boss. The replacement of Prof Jega will save the country of looming crisis. The INEC boss has created rooms for suspicion, because late last year he plotted creating more polling units to favour a section of the country but for the timely intervention of some PDP wise men”, Anike said.
“It is obvious that Prof Jega has lost his well known credibility and for which President Jonathan considered to appoint him, and therefore can no longer be trusted to be able to organize and conduct free, fair and credible elections for Nigeria”.
According to him, after studying INEC body language earlier this year his group called for the postponement of the elections, in which they were already heading to court to obtain injunctions to stop the election before the INEC heeded to security advice to postpone it.
“In the same vein, we are calling for the replacement of Prof Jega to save Nigeria of imminent crisis and post election violence. This is also because the INEC boss is no longer emotionally stable to conduct a credible election. Therefore Prof Jega should be assisted to proceed for terminal leave immediately before he plugs the nation into bloodshed”.
EU president explained that the INEC, which obviously was not prepared to conduct free, fair and credible elections as envisaged by many Nigerians have next six weeks to tidy up. He disclosed that if the elections were not postponed, INEC would have deliberately disenfranchised many eligible willing voters.
“This is evidence in the fact that many States, especially in the Southern part of the country are yet to collect their PVC up to 50%. One then wondered why the INEC Chairman kept claiming that the Commission was ready for the election. Except if maybe the Commission had an agenda to favour a particular group”, Anike said.
Nevertheless, the postponement is opportunity for the PDP and President Jonathan to re-strategise and re-launch into the deep for a great catch. The transformation ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and other Campaign Organizations of President Goodluck Jonathan failed woefully to market the great achievements of the President to the Nigeria public.
Two weeks ago, when Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent INEC, shifted the goal-post, he was probably not aware that he was boxing himself into a tight corner as one who is wielding the proverbial hangman’s rope to hang Nigeria or set her free from political impasse waiting to happen.
In the last couple of weeks, the INEC have headed the news. From undistributed, stolen and rescued PVCs to shifting of dates to the military stopping him from conducting the February 14 election, INEC has dominated political space more than the two contending parties.
Though, a civil rights organisation under the auspice of National Democratic Front (NDF) has commended the decision of INEC, on postponement of the forthcoming elections, describing it as patriotic step taken in the country’s interest.
Coordinator of NDF, Philip Agbese, stressed that the decision of INEC has cleared the air on some of the allegations that its chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, has been procured to do the bidding of particular ethnic group and political actors.
Agbese emphasised that the decision has shown Jega’s interest in respecting the rights of about 22 million other people, who have rights to vote and be voted for in the elections.
He added that it is remarkable improvement in inclusive democratic ethos like harkening to the voice of the majority of political parties, which are overwhelmingly calling for the postponement.
“Jega has proved to the world that he is a man with conscience. He has shown uncommon love for popular views and his concern for the lives and properties of the common Nigerians. He was appointed not just to conduct elections but also to protect national interest, which he has exhibited. It is commendable and should be exemplified by all public office holders”, Agbese explained.
“The decision is an acknowledgement of INEC’s respect for human lives going by the concerns raised by the security chiefs.”
The group, however, appealed to INEC and the security chiefs to see the postponement as window to address the basic challenges confronting the agency and conduct free, transparent and credible elections and not give in to the antics of selfish politicians who are out to make political capital from the development.
Critics of Jega are not sure if the umpire could do a great job when he decides to finally conduct the election. According to them, the INEC voter register for the 2015 general election published January 14, 2015, claimed that “sixty eight million (68,833,941) registered voters, fifty four million (54,341,610) PVCs ordered and thirty eight million PVCs collected” but uncertainty and questions about Jega’s effort was how and why INEC decided to make only 54 million PVCs, when there are 68 million registered voters.
Jega’s critics are also curious that while INEC admits that there are 16million (16,927,045) registered voters yet to be provided their PVCs; that it was not clear if these 16million are part of the 54million ordered or entirely separate. According to concerned Nigerians, when the 16million is added to the 38million number of people who have collected, the figure goes to 55million, which is 1million higher than the number INEC says it ordered.
Also not sure was whether the 16million voters were the balance of what has not been ordered out of the original 68million?
Reports say that because when 54million is deducted from 68million, 14million which is 2million less than the number of registered voters that INEC says has not been provided with PVCs. The numbers do not provide a complete picture.
Reportedly, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has 881,472 registered voters but only 850,360 cards were ordered. Adamawa has 1,559,012 registered voters but only 1,529,636 cards ordered. Delta State has 2,275,264 registered and 1,909,291 ordered. Every state had numbers shaved off.
According to the investigation, when compare the 2015 register with the 2011, what you found is that the North East, North West and North Central, lost 3million voters while the South-South, South-West and South East gained 1.6million.
“INEC’s voter register also tells that the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki was right about over 30million uncollected PVCs because INEC’s register indicates that 71% of the 54million ordered have not been collected, which leaves 4.6million before the postponement.
Several reports are accusing INEC of shoddy preparation for the election. It was gathered that the INEC executive team are operating under significant distress that may disrupt the smooth conduct of the upcoming 2015 general elections.
Further reports also said that the INEC Chairman, Prof Jega and his eleven national commissioners, including the Directors are at daggers-drawn over unresolved issues that threaten disenfranchisement of select geo-political zones.
Newswatch Times gathered that the infighting at the INEC house is growing suspicion from some of the Commissioners and Directors of southern extraction towards the INEC Chairman and the other Commissioners of northern extraction.
It was gathered that Commissioners and Directors are accusing their boss of adopting policies favourable to the expansion of the northern geopolitical region’s voting strength. The commissioner pointed to the botched attempt by Prof Jega’s at arbitrarily increasing the polling units in the geopolitical regions of the north.
Newswatch Times gathered that at a point, the commissioners had a shouting match with Jega on why he decides to increase the polling units in the north. Jega was alleged to have told his subordinates that it was only a court decision would stop him from increasing the polling units.
Prof Jega, as a result of his inability to carry out his agenda decided to shutout the protesting Commissioners responsible to faulting the agenda. The relationship among the commissioners took a regional shape with the southern commissioners suspicious of the northern commissioners, who appear to have formed a click with the Chairman along religious lines.
Professor Jega was born on 11 January 1957 in Jega, Kebbi State. He attended Sabon Gari Town Primary School, Jega between 1963 and 1969 and proceeded to Government Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi and then was admitted into The Ahmadu Bello University Zaria's Bayero University College, Kano in 1974. He graduated in 1979, with a Second Class Upper Division BSc degree in Political Science. Jega worked as a teaching assistant at Bayero University, and then won a fellowship at North-western University, Evanston, Illinois in the United States in 1981 to 1984, where he earned a PhD in Political Sciences. He returned to the Political Science Department in Bayero University in 1984 as a lecturer.
However, he had other appointments which included; visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos from March 1992 to March 1993. Also, he was appointed a visiting Research Fellow, Department of Political Science, University of Stockholm, Sweden in 1994, Deputy Vice-chancellor Academics, Bayero University 1995 to 1996 and director, Centre for Democratic Research and Training, Bayero University 2000 to 2004. Later, Jega was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University in 2005.
Jega, an academics and former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano State was on 8 June 2010, nominated by President Goodluck Jonathan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), subject to Senate confirmation, as a replacement for Professor Maurice Iwu, who vacated the post on 28, April 2010.
Jega was former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and was an opponent of the Babangida military government in the early 1990s. He is ultra-leftist politically. As ASUU President, he was closely associated with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and continued that connection throughout his career. On 29 April 2010 he was guest lecturer for the NLC May Day celebration where he presented a paper on 50 Years of Nationhood: Challenges of Good Democratic Governance, Credible Election and the Working Class. He is widely seen as an astute intellectual with a strong sense of ethics and morality.
Jega was appointed a member of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee, which submitted a report on 11 December 2008, with recommendations that included establishing commissions to deal with Electoral Offences, Constituency Delimitation and Political Parties Registration and Regulation.
Their committee also recommended proportional representation and that the INEC head should be appointed by the judiciary rather than the President.
Jega's nomination as INEC chairman followed approval by a meeting of the National Council of State called by President Jonathan and attended by former heads of state Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Abudulsalami Abubakar, Ernest Shonekan, Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Shagari.
The Senate President David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives Oladimeji Bankole, and most of the state Governors also attended the meeting. Jega got a unanimous approval by the council of the nominee for this critical appointment avoided controversy about whether or not the President should appoint the chairman of the INEC. However, despite the gallant profile of the umpire Jega, its left for him to dent his credibility which he has over the years build with every sense of decorum or give the next generation of Nigerians, a space to remember him for good or bad. The choice is his.
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