INEC job is difficult, Iwon’t stay beyondJune —Jega
INEC job is difficult, I
won’t stay beyond
June —Jega
Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission
(INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has
said he will not accept a tenure
renewal even if he is offered.
The tenure of Jega, appointed by
President Goodluck Jonathan in
2010 to replace the then chief of
Nigeria’s electoral management
body, Maurice Iwu, will expire in
June.
Speaking in an interview with the
Hausa Service of the British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),
Jega said having successfully
accomplished the task assigned to
him, another person should be
given the opportunity to contribute
his own quota.
Jega, a professor of Political Science,
acknowledged that the task of
leading INEC was a difficult one,
adding that he was not interested in
tenure renewal and would not
accept an offer of extension.
“I am grateful to God. I was asked to
come and contribute my own quota
to national development and I have
done my bit to the best of my
ability.
“Whatever assignment one will do
for five years – just like this difficult
one — to me if one is able to
successfully accomplish the task,
someone else should be given the
opportunity. Because for me, I am
not interested and if I am requested
to serve again, I will not do it, by
God’s grace,” he said.
He stated that the introduction of
the card reader device in the 2015
general elections had significantly
helped to make the presidential
election transparent and credible.
He, however, added that there were
a few challenges that would be
looked into in the forthcoming
governorship/state assembly
elections, including late coming of
electoral officials.
Commenting on the allegations of
bias against him by the Peoples
Democratic Party’s chieftain,
Godsday Orubebe, at the National
Collation Centre in Abuja on
Tuesday, Jega said he was
unperturbed because the
allegations were false.
“I maintained my calmness because
I knew all the allegations were false.
There is nothing that frightens me
or disturbs me because, of all our
actions, we have explanations for
them,” he said.
