Arewa chieftain cautions against plan to sack Jega

Tasks Jonathan, Buhari over programmes

CRITICISING those calling for the sack of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, an Arewa chieftain, Mr. Anthony Sani has said that any attempt to remove the INEC boss before the conduct of the 2015 general election by the Federal Government will affect the credibility and conduct of the polls.

  Besides, Sani also cautioned those agitating for the further shift of the election dates to be mindful the legal implications and the survival of democracy in Nigeria.

  According to him, those urging for the sack of Professor Jega in the middle of the conduct of 2015 general election do not mean well for Nigeria, while insisting that “I do not understand the basis of the calls for removal of Prof Jega as INEC Chairman because he has been doing well and Mr. President has attested to that.”

  “What is more, to remove Prof Jega who has planned and prepared for the elections for a new man to do the actual conduct of the elections which plans he has not been the one who did it can only cause confusion that can only give our nation and democracy bad image. I think this is avoidable.”

  Sani, who was the former National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Spokesperson of the Northern Delegate Forum (NDF) at the National Conference also argued that “there is no way the elections can further been postponed, precisely because any shift of the elections again would be against the law”

  However, he remarked: “and if the laws are amended to accommodate further shift, the credibility of the whole electoral processes will be affected. That is why most democrats across the world would advise against further shift of the elections.”

  The Arewa chieftain faulted the reports by the security chiefs about the security situation in the north eastern states which prompted INEC to postpone the general election from the February dates, pointing out that “I think if elections can hold in Iraq and Afghanistan, they can hold in the troubled areas in Nigeria.”

  “More so that people came out in mass in the rallies by the two political parties. I want to believe they can come out on the elections day, especially if the present military campaigns against insurgence in the three states reduce the capacity and capability of the sect substantially.”

  Meanwhile, Sani who also spoke on the quality of the Presidential campaign by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential hopeful, retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari, lamented that both candidates have not addressed how they will resolve the country’s socio-economic and political malaise if voted as President by Nigerians in 2015.