INEC--Jega Allegedly Set to Resign

 

There are strong indications the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega might be ready to quit his job soon, as he has allegedly penneed down his resignation letter. The latest round of accusation against the INEC Chairman is based against the southern regions of Nigeria and against political parties who are not in-line with the All Progressive Congress (APC). He has allegedly aided the merger process of the APC in a fashion that went beyond the duties of an INEC chairman.

State Security Service (SSS) also alleged that while Prof Jega served as the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano, he engaged in contract fraud and other related financial crimes. Particularly, it was gathered that many of the awards of contracts for infrastructural development within the university campus was awarded to companies owned by Prof. Jega. The companies were operated as fronts by many of Jega’s extended family members and friends.

The sharp practices contained in the report was brought to the attention of the President by the agents of the SSS. President Jonathan was not pleased with the contents of the security report. But it took the intervention of the Principal Secretary to the Presidency, Hassan Tukur who impressed on Jonathan that the addition of Prof Jega would be an added bonus to the integrity of the INEC. The President heeded to the plea of Hassan Tukur – and announced the appointment of Prof Jega as the new INEC chairman.

However with the built up the 2015 presidential elections, Prof Jega’s attitude began to lose its shell – and began to show its true intentions. It gradually started to become clearer to the presidency that Prof. Jega may have been working with the opposition party in seeking to return power to the core north.

The exercise to selectively increase the number of polling units in the northern region of the country raised eyebrows – as to the reasons behind the abrupt decision by the INEC chairman. The fast actions of National commissioners from the southern regions of the country halted the INEC Chairman from proceeding to implement his desired to populate the northern part of the country with the larger majority of the polling units. It took the arm twisting of the INEC Chairman to back-down from the decision.

When Prof Jega’s effort to populate the north with polling units failed, he allegedly devised a plan to use the ‘Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to create the needed imbalance in the north/south polity. Anchoring his plan on the rule that all voters must have a PVC before being allowed to vote, the INEC Chairman and some of his national chairmen devised a plan to give the northern part of he country an overwhelming advantage in the distribution of the said PVCs.

The PVC were effectively distributed through the Imams and other community leaders in select states of the core north where the APC supporters are known to concentrate. While in the southern regions of country, the PVCs were dumped at the respective INEC offices at the local government areas – for the owners to come and collect. For this reason, the collection percentage of the PVCs in the northern region became much more higher than those in the southern region. It exposed what appears a structured disparity.

Mr. President, according to presidential sources, is not happy with Prof. Jega as a result.

“Arrangements are on the offing to begin the removal process for the INEC chairman” says the source who also emphasized that the INEC chairman is also aware of the process – and has decided to hang-on to raise some ‘dust’ before existing the INEC offices. “The Prof knows that he is going”. But it remains to be seen if the President would follow through on his stated intent to remove the INEC chairman and to replace him with a Professor from the South west region. The brother to the governor of Ondo state – has been touted as a possible replacement for Prof Jega.

Jega’s spokesman, Kayode Idowu, he brushed aside his resignation as mere rumor. He then added that Prof. Jega remains the INEC Chairman. “Jega will conduct this election” he added.

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