Attahiru Jega: A radical who affirmed the power of the electorate

By OKUNADE ADEKUNLE|

It was barely five years ago that the outgoing National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan after Jega’ s involvement in the electoral reform Committee set up by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’dua to bring sanity into the country’s electoral system.

It will be right to state that Jega’s involvement in the committee was to bring to bear his expertise knowledge as an expert in election administration in designing a substantial political template to shape the electoral system in such a way that the wrongs in the electoral system would be erased. However, this was focused on shaping political behaviour of not only the political elite but also the electorate who are majorly hurt by the electoral malpractice of the political elite.

Jega’s appointment which came at the time when the electoral umpire was in dire need of repositioning and visionary leadership which would shape the pattern of operation, was argued to be timely.

His headship of the commission was well argued to be transparent and independent in taking electoral decisions that are fundamental to the development and survival of the commission and the electoral system.

In a swift action, he was quick to notice that he would need capable hands and minds that would help him to achieve his vision of salvaging the electoral system, as he appointed his Resident Electoral Commission(RECs) for the states without recourse to influence and pressure from external political forces in the political system. Although, it was argued that few of the RECs were card-carrying members of the political parties but it was understandable that some of the RECs had relationship with the political elites as they had one way or the other worked as consultants to them. Inspite this, Jega introduced discipline and read root act to the commission’s staff on the mandate of the commission.

In checking the excesses and manipulation by the political elites, in 2011, he engaged in electronic voters registration exercise across the nation in which the adequate numbers of eligible voters were databanked and crosschecked so as to avoid multiple registration. Expectedly, some political elite cried foul on the functionality of the machines and even the cost of conducting the voters registration. The voters registration exercise bore the Temporary Voters Card(TVC) which was temporarily used to conduct the 2011 general election.Although, several complains were raised by some cheated politicians who believed that the TVCs were used to manipulate the process.

Based on the complains and the loopholes identified by the commission, the commission in the process of conducting successful 2015 general elections seek the approval of some funds by the National Assembly to reproduce the voters cards in a permanent form so that it could be used with a card reader.

Jega speaking at the Senate before the 2015 general election, he stated “Whereas Section 52 of the Electoral Act prohibits the use of electronic voting,  the card reader is not a voting machine and it is not used for voting. It is merely an  electronic devise introduced to improve the integrity of the voting process. It should be remembered that Section 78 and Section 118 of the constitution grant INEC the powers to register voters and to conduct elections in Nigeria.”

With the issue of the legality of Card reader laid to rest, he continued to enumerate the functions of the device as well as its components. According to him, it was only deployed for accreditation and not voting.

Jega was able to record appreciable success for the introduction of card reader for the conduct of the 2015 general election. The fact remains that there were obvious deficiency which the electoral process experienced during the exercise as the card reader device had errors which were quickly attended to by the commission.

As the tenure of Prof. Jega is winding up this month, leaders and elders of the SouthSouth geopolitical zone have begun to clamour for his successor to be appointed from SouthSouth and they have rooted for Mr Mike Igini, who have been adjudged as a reputable REC that can replicate what Jega has successfully done in the commission.

Stakeholders in the South South have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint the outgoing resident electoral commissioner in Edo State, Barr Mike Igini, as replacement for the outgoing chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega.

Former Senate chief whip, Senator Rowland Owie, Edo State chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barr Anslem Ojezua and Chief Dan Orbih respectively, Niger Delta activist, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, and members of civil society organisations, made the call over the weekend at an occasion organised in honour of Barr Igini in Benin City.

Speaking at the occasion, Senator Owie who took time to reel out the qualities of Igini, describing him as impeccable since he assumed office as INEC commissioner in the last five years, said “Igini has made the South South proud due to his incorruptible stance, his genuine belief in free, fair and credible elections and his pursuit of the truth.

“As a man of character himself and one who believes in our electoral process, we should not waste the talent of this young man. He should be given a chance to head INEC so that Nigerians will benefit from his wealth of experience”.

On his part, APC chairman in Edo State, Ojezua, noted that “Igini has provided leadership in Edo INEC that is very obvious. The outcome of the elections in Edo State is the reason why you have less number of persons going to tribunals. If you look at other states in the South South and South East, the RECs in those states connived with the PDP to manufacture results both in the presidential and National Assembly elections but in Edo State, you did not do that.

It shows the kind of person you are and that is why we are calling on the federal government to look in your direction when appointing the next INEC chairman so as to consolidate the good works of Prof Jega”.

Speaking also, the state chairman of the PDP, Chief Orbih, said “to a large extent, he came and played the role of an unbiased umpire of course by the nature of his job, those who the outcome of the elections favoured will speak very highly of those who probably did not do well will put a lot of blame on him.

Speaking at an event organised to honour Igini after his completion of the 2015 elections, Chairman of IPAC in the state, Mr. Frank Ukonga, said Igini has displayed the character of a leader that has the capacity to continue the reforms Jega had introduced into the Commission.

Although, other geopolitical zones have not shown any interest in the job but it is obvious that whoever that would succeed Prof Jega must be able to either sustain the credibility of the commission which Jega had built or surpass Jega’s performance.