JEGA MUST GO SECRET PLOT: The Fight Is Getting Bloody

In sane countries, public officers with independent minds are respected but in Nigeria, if you can't do things the way the sitting President or his associates want, then you are a problem and they will do everything to make sure you resign or be disgraced out of office, nigeriantopsecret.blogspot.com  observed.

But how can our Nation grow with this crazy mentality? As you read this, the plot to sack the Chairman of the INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, is gathering momentum, according to PUNCH investigations.

Findings revealed that the “sins” committed by Jega include alleged transfer of INEC officials considered close to the PDP to new departments where their input might not be useful in the 2015 elections.

It was also gathered that the PDP members, who are close to the Presidency, feel that Jega is becoming unapproachable on issues that could help them win the election...

Jega’s tenure ends officially on June 30 but his traducers are compiling what they described as his ‘sins’.

A source in the Presidency, who did not want his name in print, said that the reason the INEC boss gave for the postponement of the elections had negatively affected the credibility of the Presidency and the PDP.

He said, “The way Jega spoke at the press briefing where he announced the postponement of the polls, was meant to implicate the PDP and the Presidency.

“This was why everybody, including foreign governments, have been blaming the leadership of the country for the postponement of the elections.

“The summary of Jega’s presentation was that INEC was ready but that the security agencies, whose headships are appointees of the President, frustrated the commission’s desire to hold the elections on February 14 and 28.”

He added that some national leaders of the PDP would meet with President Goodluck Jonathan and members of his electioneering team this week to review the presidential campaign.

The meeting, according to him, will also “discuss the wisdom in sending Jega on terminal leave any moment from now because of his perceived sins.”

He added, “Close friends of the President in the party and the stakeholders will meet to review the campaigns and I can tell you that the issue about Jega matter would certainly be discussed. We have received several reports on this matter and I can assure you that it would be looked into and a decision taken.”

Further investigations showed that before the postponement of the elections, the military had directed its commands nationwide to prepare operational methodology for the exercise.

A reliable military officer told PUNCH that they were surprised to hear Jega blame the poll postponement on the unpreparedness of the military.

He said, “We were astonished to hear that we were not prepared and all that. How many officers do we have in the North-East? How many of our men were deployed for the last governorship election in Osun State? So there are things we have not been told about the elections.”

However, some political parties under the aegis of the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties, have vowed to frustrate any attempt to stop Jega from conducting the elections.

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Movement, Bashir Ibrahim, who spoke for the group, said though the INEC chairman played into the hands of PDP by rescheduling the election dates, “we are going to resist the move to remove him from office.

“The role of the election management board led by Jega in shifting the dates of the election may not be the best, but any move to remove him will be resisted,” Bashir added.

Also on Monday, a coalition of 18 civil society organisations called for the immediate resignation of the service chiefs “for arm-twisting INEC’’ and for abdication of national responsibility.

The CSOs which passed a vote of confidence in Jega, explained that they were calling for the resignation of the service chiefs because their action was “a clear indication of the abyss to which the military had descended to.”

Chairman of the Transitional Monitoring Group, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, spoke on behalf of the group:

“The most worrisome reality is that the Nigerian military, which is supposed to be nationalistic and patriotic in outlook, has allowed itself to be led by those they serve for expressly narrow interests.

“To say the least, the military has failed the Nigerian people. It is a betrayal of trust for the military in connivance with the National Security Adviser to have allowed itself to be used to suspend Nigeria’s electoral process.

“The grand conspiracy to arm-twist INEC to shift the 2015 general elections to satisfy narrow political considerations is a clear indication of the abyss to which the military has descended.

“The claim that they will not be able to protect INEC personnel and materials for the polls that were to hold on 14 and 28 February 2015, is a national disgrace and embarrassment.”