WHY HAS JEGA CANCELLED MEETINGS WITH HIS RECs
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, has shifted his meeting with
resident electoral commissioners (RECs) to Wednesday, March 11.
The
meeting, which was initially scheduled to take place on Wednesday,
March 4, was to enable the commissioners to give the chairman feedback
on the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards and other preparations
for the elections.
READ ALSO: Anxiety Trails Jega’s Meeting With The RECs
It was understood that on March 12, the INEC would finalise preparations for the March 28 and April 11 general elections.
The meeting was reportedly shifted to enable the commissioners to give Jega the results of card readers’ testing on Saturday.
There were fears at the INEC on Monday that some pro-government commissioners might pass a vote of no confidence in the INEC chairman at the meeting, initially scheduled for Wednesday, March 4.
The vote of no vote confidence, allegedly, was planned to be a prelude to Jega’s removal by the federal government.
However, a source in the INEC suggested that the pro-government commissioners might have had a change of mind because of the growing opposition to the alleged plan to remove Jega.
The source revealed that Jega’s supporters were not letting down their guards despite the alleged change of mind of the pro-government commissioners.
He claimed they had determined to wait until the end of the election before they could believe President Goodluck Jonathan, who had said that he would not remove Jega.
The House of Representatives and civil rights groups have warned against Jega’s removal, adding that he must not be sent on terminal leave.
Jonathan said in an interview with Aljazeera on Monday that there was no plan to sack Jega, although Jega’s supporters in the commission were reportedly taking the president’s assurance with a pinch of salt.
A senior INEC official who confided in The Punch said, “It seems the few government apologists are making a U-turn on the vote of no confidence against Jega.
“They have realised that the mood in the country is not favourable to that, but those of us backing the chairman are not letting down our guard.
“With the sustained campaign against the use of PVCs and voter cards, anything can still happen. Their main grouse against Jega is the insistence on the use of card readers and PVCs. The chairman, however, has a support among commissioners on these and other issues.”
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, in an email to our correspondent, confirmed that the meeting had been shifted.
“The meeting will now hold on Wednesday, March 11, 2015,” he said.
However, he denied a claim that the planned vote of no confidence was in the agenda of the meeting.
He further explained that it the commission’s meeting with RECs was scheduled to finalise preparations for the general elections.
Idowu stated, “The commission’s (not Chairman’s) meeting with RECs was a long scheduled operational meeting to finalise preparations for the general elections.”
Idowu explained that the meeting was shifted so that RECs could give reports on the testing of card readers, which would be held on Saturday.
READ ALSO: If Jega Was Replaced: Read What Nigerians Have To Say
It will be recalled that the main electoral body in Nigeria, the INEC, states it is not in a position to say if or when its head, Professor Attahiru Jega, will be replaced.
READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/396605-why-jega-cancels-meeting-with-recs.html
INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega
READ ALSO: Anxiety Trails Jega’s Meeting With The RECs
It was understood that on March 12, the INEC would finalise preparations for the March 28 and April 11 general elections.
The meeting was reportedly shifted to enable the commissioners to give Jega the results of card readers’ testing on Saturday.
There were fears at the INEC on Monday that some pro-government commissioners might pass a vote of no confidence in the INEC chairman at the meeting, initially scheduled for Wednesday, March 4.
However, a source in the INEC suggested that the pro-government commissioners might have had a change of mind because of the growing opposition to the alleged plan to remove Jega.
The source revealed that Jega’s supporters were not letting down their guards despite the alleged change of mind of the pro-government commissioners.
He claimed they had determined to wait until the end of the election before they could believe President Goodluck Jonathan, who had said that he would not remove Jega.
The House of Representatives and civil rights groups have warned against Jega’s removal, adding that he must not be sent on terminal leave.
Jonathan said in an interview with Aljazeera on Monday that there was no plan to sack Jega, although Jega’s supporters in the commission were reportedly taking the president’s assurance with a pinch of salt.
A senior INEC official who confided in The Punch said, “It seems the few government apologists are making a U-turn on the vote of no confidence against Jega.
“They have realised that the mood in the country is not favourable to that, but those of us backing the chairman are not letting down our guard.
“With the sustained campaign against the use of PVCs and voter cards, anything can still happen. Their main grouse against Jega is the insistence on the use of card readers and PVCs. The chairman, however, has a support among commissioners on these and other issues.”
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, in an email to our correspondent, confirmed that the meeting had been shifted.
“The meeting will now hold on Wednesday, March 11, 2015,” he said.
However, he denied a claim that the planned vote of no confidence was in the agenda of the meeting.
He further explained that it the commission’s meeting with RECs was scheduled to finalise preparations for the general elections.
Idowu stated, “The commission’s (not Chairman’s) meeting with RECs was a long scheduled operational meeting to finalise preparations for the general elections.”
Idowu explained that the meeting was shifted so that RECs could give reports on the testing of card readers, which would be held on Saturday.
READ ALSO: If Jega Was Replaced: Read What Nigerians Have To Say
It will be recalled that the main electoral body in Nigeria, the INEC, states it is not in a position to say if or when its head, Professor Attahiru Jega, will be replaced.
READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/396605-why-jega-cancels-meeting-with-recs.html
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