INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega
Members of the All Progressives
Congress in the Senate on Thursday alleged that there was a fresh plot
by the Federal Government to prevent the Independent National
Electoral Commission Chairman, Attahiru Jega, from superintending over
the forthcoming general elections.
The APC senators, led by George Akume,
told a news conference in Abuja that they heard from a reliable source
that the Head of Service would direct Jega to proceed on his
pre-retirement leave next week.
“We have received information from a
very credible source that next week, the Chairman of INEC will be given a
letter from the office of the Head of the Civil Service to proceed on
a terminal leave,” they said.
The opposition senators alleged that the
Federal Government was trying to use a circular from the HoS dated
August 11, 2010 to place Jega on compulsory pre-retirement leave.
They said, “Whether the letter emanates
from the HoS office or the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, it does not make sense. Even if we go by the terms of the
Civil Service circular of August 11, 2010, (it) is not applicable
whatsoever to the INEC chairman.”
The lawmakers explained that the
circular, with reference number HCSF/CMO/1772/TI/11, talks about
clarifications on pre-retirement leave, which is only applicable to
tenured officers who are career civil servants.
They said anyone who has spent 30 years
in service or has attained 60 years of age was bound to disengage
officially from the service. The senators however said that the case of
Jega did not fall into any of these.
The lawmakers claimed that Jega’s
offence was his readiness to conduct the elections when the Peoples
Democratic Party-controlled Federal Government was not.
The opposition senators insisted that
using the issue of card readers to discredit Jega would not work because
the National Assembly appropriated money for that purpose.
They said, “We want a credible election
but in a situation where we are being informed that because the
postponement of the elections attracted no reaction from the people,
Jega could be removed for a plan-less person who will do the bidding of
the government, doesn’t hold water.
“You cannot start a game which is about
to end and suddenly you want to change the goalpost. You don’t want a
referee that is fair to all. You want to have someone who will subvert
the whole system for sinister, personal purposes.
“We will continue to say no to impunity.
We will continue to say no to any attempt to undermine the credibility
of the forthcoming elections.
“We therefore want to appeal to
Nigerians to be steadfast to keep watch so that their labour will not be
in vain. If Ghana and other countries can get it right, Nigeria can
also get it right.
“We are opposed to the removal of Jega
because it is criminal, illegal and unconstitutional. They want to
remove him through the back door.”
Akume maintained that President Goodluck
Jonathan reserved the right to remove Jega but that he could not
unilaterally do so without seeking the permission of the National
Assembly through a two-thirds majority.
The lawmakers added that Jonathan lacked the legal powers to suspend the INEC boss under whatever guise.
They said, “Section 157(1) clearly
states that the president can only remove Jega with the vote of 2/3
majority of all senators. Under whatever guise; whether suspension,
retirement or voluntary leave he cannot be removed.
“Section 157 (1) of the 1999
Constitution (as amended), the President cannot remove the INEC Chairman
from office without getting approval of the Upper Chamber.
“Section 157 (1) of the Constitution
reads, “…a person holding any of the offices to which this section
applies may only be removed from that office by the president acting on
an address supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate, praying that
he be so removed for inability to discharge the functions of the
office.”
The senators also reiterated their
opposition to the clearance of Musiliu Obanikoro as minister and the
deployment of soldiers for elections.
Giving further clarification on the fate
of Obanikoro, their spokesperson, Babafemi Ojudu, said their
position was that the ministerial nominees was not qualified to hold
public office.
He said, “We are going to oppose that and the three senators from Lagos have written to Mark opposing that.’
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