What we want is the Acting President to write his name in gold by replacing him with somebody who has no interest, except that votes cast by individuals in this country are reflected. Nothing will affect INEC, as an institution, by his removal. His removal will not affect the conduct of our election.
Let Jonathan build this institution to the envy of the whole world.
-Oliver Enwerem, former member of Imo State House of Assembly
‘His Removal The Best Thing That
Has Happened Since The Inception Of This Administration’
From Charles Akpeji, Jalingo
IT is a welcome development, not only to the opposition parties, but also to the PDP, because Iwu has stepped on the toes of many politicians. He used his position as INEC boss to shortchange many politicians in the last general election.
Since his removal, have you heard anybody sympathising with him? Have your heard anyone reprimanding the Acting President for taken such steps? This is because Iwu was never a good man; he does not have the interest of the country at heart.
We are pleased with his removal and we don’t see it affecting the next election in any form. Frankly speaking, his removal is the best thing that has so far happened since the inception of this administration.
We in CNPP, as well as those in the ruling party, believe that his sack would pave way for a credible election, because if they had allowed Iwu to conduct the next election, the story would have been more devastating than the 2007 election.
I agree that the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know, but this saying should not be applied to Iwu, because his exit portends something good for this country. It does not in any way portend evil to us. His sack is a great blessing to the country and the people.
His sack will give the opposition political parties ample opportunities to sail through in the forthcoming general election. Steps should be taken to ensure the appointment of a credible replacement, a person with a track good record, a God-fearing person.
For the Acting President to heed the loud voice of the Nigerian masses, which led to the sack of Iwu, we also believe he should give us a reliable person for the job.
Religion, ethnic and geo-political affiliations should not be a parameter for the appointment of Iwu’s replacement. Nigerians, I am very much sure, won’t be bothered about the part of the country the person would emanate from; they won’t care about his religion or the language he speaks. All we need is someone that would not tread the path of Iwu.
All we expect from the Acting President is to appoint someone with 100 per cent credibility. Such a person must be truthful, fearless, sincere, trustworthy and above all, God-fearing.
We would support the Acting President if he deems it fit to probe Iwu and his apostles. We also hope he will change or if possible sack all the Resident Electoral Commissioners that served under Iwu, because they equally helped to perpetrate most of the ills associated with the last election.
It may be right to say politicians and the system are the problems, but at the same time it may be wrong, because when you have a competent electoral body, the system may become difficult to manipulate.
No matter how bad the system may look like or how desperate the politicians may appear, once the leadership of the electoral body is okay, no amount of pressure from the government would change their stand.
Thank goodness, INEC is in the process of being absolutely independent and I am glad that most of the recommendations of Justice Muhammadu Uwais reports have been adopted by the constitutional review committee.
We are happy the way things are going on. So, I think there should not be any cause for alarm, because from what we have seen on ground, our next election would be more credible than that of Ghana.
-Hamidu Suleiman, Chairman of Taraba State chapter of All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), as well as the Conference for Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP)
‘His Sack Would Not Negatively Affect The Next Elections’
YOU will agree with me that right from the outset, we (AC) have been in the vanguard of those calling for his removal.
So, you should expect nothing else from us, but celebration, because he caused much of the mess Nigerians are experiencing today. Let him go.
His sack would not in any way negatively affect the forthcoming election.
-Inuwa Bakari, Taraba State chairman of Action Congress (AC)
‘It’s Sign That Jonathan Wants Credible Polls’
From Adamu Abuh, Kano
IT is a welcome development and sends the signal that truly, the Acting President would want to see credible electoral machinery put in place, for the conduct also of a credible and fair election.
The apprehension had been that since the Acting President is a beneficiary of the exercise and also some of the statement that has been attributed to him, which seems to pass a vote of confidence in the INEC chairman, he would not muster the courage to sack Iwu. So, the decision to ask Iwu to proceed on leave must be welcome by all those who want to see a credible election come 2011.
Iwu’s sack would surely have a positive effect on the upcoming elections in 2011, if persons of impeccable character are allowed to take charge of INEC.
But of course, it would affect it for good, if those who are proposed to replace him and replace the other commissioners are men and women of impeccable standing and also non-partisan, who would be dispassionate arbiters of the electoral system.
So, the condition is that it is not enough to remove him, but we would welcome the removal of Iwu and would want to see a replacement of the chairman and other commissioners with others who are credible and whom the rest of the world could put trust in their ability to conduct an acceptable and transparent election.
But, I don’t think I should fall for this lynch mentality by Nigerians that once leaders are out of office, by saying things about them that they would not be able to say while they are in office.
So, yes, he can go prematurely. Yes also, if there are things that are glaringly faulty with the way he managed the resources, he conducted himself or his judgment and some want to query that, I think it is better we look for an appropriate time, but not just jumble everything together now and begin to lynch everybody who has just left office.
We need men and women who, when Nigerians see their names, they can say that such individuals, given an assignment of the nature in an electoral commission would do a good job of it. I don’t have any name in mind other than the qualities we need.
They should not be partisan; they should not belong to any political party and should by all acclamation be adjudged to be fair and balanced in their decisions and truly experienced in public affairs. And I don’t think Nigeria is bereft of such persons.
On whether Iwu’s removal portends any hope for a credible poll in the future, I would say his premature removal holds the promise of his replacement being men and women of transparent and proven integrity, who when called upon, would conduct an election comparably better than what Iwu and his men have done.
-Auwalu Hamisu Yadudu, Professor of Law, Bayero University, Kano (BUK)
‘We Must Look For An Apolitical Person As Iwu’s Successor’
AS far as I am concerned, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan should not play games with the intelligence of Nigerians over the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Maurice Iwu.
In spite of Iwu’s removal, the issue of the credibility of INEC is far from resolved. There would be no credible elections in the country for as long as there is no credible legal framework in place.
Iwu is a national catastrophe. The Acting President should apply his sledgehammer on key office holders within INEC and all others in government circles.
We need more than an individual to lead INEC; we need a number of things, like a very serious and credible legal framework, which provides for a level-playing field for all stakeholders, politicians, civil societies, the international organisations and the international communities and any other stakeholder of vested interests, which has a commitment to democracy in Nigeria.
The Acting President Goodluck is still playing games with us; he has been flip-flopping, doing one thing today, and doing another thing tomorrow. The submission to the National Assembly on the amendment of the electoral law must be withdrawn. He must have a second look at them and submit as near as possible the total submission made by Justice Uwais to the country and to the federal government. These are the ones to be submitted.
I would not want anybody to pull wool over his eyes by making him believe there would be credible election in Nigeria. All those who connive with Iwu to deny Nigerians the rights to have their votes counted are all in place. That is why all Resident Electoral Commissioners and the six national commissioners must all be made to account for their deeds for the way they aborted a very strategic national assignment, which made Nigeria a laughing stock in the eyes of the entire world.
There is nothing to celebrate over Iwu’s sack. These officials should also be asked to go. All the directors and other strategic officials must be asked to go.
We must look for somebody who is apolitical; a man whose patriotism is far ahead of his loyalty to the party, region or religion or an axis or zone and there are millions of Nigerians who are fit to do that job and who have done that kind of job creditably. I believe if you give them that kind of job, they would do it again and again.
Unless we begin to look at merit as the sole criteria for appointment into a strategic position as the INEC chairman, Nigeria would not know peace and progress.
-Junaid Mohammed, National Chairman of Peoples Salvation Party (PSP)
‘A Good Sign For The Polity’
From Niyi Bello, Akure
ONDO State Governor Olusegun Mimiko described the non-extension of Iwu’s tenure as the first step in the cleansing of the electoral body to reposition it for next year’s elections.
Reacting to the removal of Iwu, Mimiko, who at every opportunity had always called for the institution of credible electoral system in the country on the premise that no development can be expected from those who usurp public offices, said the development is a good sign for the polity.
According to Mimiko, who once canvassed for a one-point agenda of electoral reform before the nation could move forward, “from our experience in Ondo State, I don’t have any doubt in my mind that this country will never fulfill her manifest destiny of being a leader amongst nations until the vote of the man that votes counts.
“Until we do away with godfatherism and ensure the sanctity of the ballot box, until people who emerge as our leaders feel accountable to our people, because they would be drawing their mandate from the people, our democracy will not be strong. But when we have eliminated all these negative democratic factors, they would work to be able to meet the expectations and fulfill the aspirations of the people.”
He continued: “As we go towards 2011 elections, one thing is very clear that Nigerians are hungry and thirsty for reforms in the electoral system.
“Let me also mention the fact that is very critical, as far as I am concerned. And that is because one of the greatest incentives to election rigging is for people to rig themselves into office through acts of brigandage and illegality and then sit there for two years when the process of agitation keeps on dragging.”
Although he said Iwu’s removal would create “a new face for INEC,” Mimiko called for a more concerted effort at revamping the electoral system, adding: “As we move forward beyond the removal of Iwu, we must be able to do more than that. We must go deeper. I have said it and I am saying it again, the fate of this country may depend on the next election.
“All processes of agitation in election matters must be completed before anybody is sworn in and there will not be a vacuum. Under the constitution, in the absence of the governor and the Deputy Governor, the Speaker automatically takes over until the election is concluded. At the federal level, the Senate President takes over.”
He also canvassed for a process that would create an impartial arbiter in the person of the INEC Chairman, saying: “All the three tiers of government should be involved and the National Judicial Council (NJC) should suggest three names, after screening from a pool of prospective chairmen. Then the President, exercising his executive functions, should pick one of them and send it to the Senate for approval.”
The governor said a clear consensus had been generated nationwide, stressing: “Nigerians, the civil society across party lines, from the conservative section of the polity to the progressive section, there seems to be a consensus that the method of picking the INEC Chairman should be such that whoever is picking will not be exposed to the temptation of picking somebody who will do the bidding of his political party.”
Mimiko, who is widely regarded as one of the major victims of Iwu’s failure to conduct credible elections, fought a traumatic 22-month legal battle to regain his April 14, 2007 mandate, which was given to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Olusegun Agagu.
