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Battle to succeed Jega heats up

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Following the exit of the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Attahiru Jega, and the next elections slated for 2019, the battle for who heads the commission ahead of 2019 has kicked off, albeit unofficially, as several candidates who feel qualified to take the top job have commenced moves to emerge ahead of others.
The battle has heightened as more officials left the commission at the end of their tenure. Of the 13 National Commissioners, only four, including the Acting National Chairman, Mrs. Amina Zakari, remain in office.
Even of the four, two (Mr. Chris Iyimoga and Amb. Mohammad Ahmad Wali) will complete their five-year tenure today (Monday), leaving Zakari and one other to run the commission.
Also, about six of the 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) have finished their terms of office. The development has heightened the lobbying for the commission’s chairman.
As the presidency shops for credible candidates as INEC chairman and RECs, The Nation reports, that no fewer than 10 candidates are jostling to be chairman.
Some of those being speculated are: Mrs. Zakari; two former National Commissioners (Lai Olurode and Nuru Yakubu); the Director-General of INEC Electoral Institute, Prof. Abubakar Momoh; Mr. Festus Okoye ( a human rights activist); Mr. Mike Igini and three unnamed candidates.
A retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammadu Uwais, who was the chairman of an Electoral Reform Committee raised by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, has been suggested for the job, but there is a snag: his age.
The top contender for the coveted seat is Mrs. Zakari, a princess of Hadejia, Kano State in the Northwest. Besides coming from the same geopolitical zone with Jega, Mrs. Zakari is the first woman vying to be Chief Electoral Officer.
It was gathered that there were issues on whether or not the President should appoint the INEC chairman from the North or the South. The last occupant of the office, Prof. Attahiru Jega, came from Kebbi State in the Northwest.
The North-South dichotomy has placed a burden on the Presidency and made the race to succeed Jega keener.
The geo-political breakdown of past INEC chairmen is as follows: Chief Eyo Esua (1964-1966)—Southsouth; Chief Michael Ani (1979)—Southsouth; Justice Victor Ovie-Whiskey (1983)—Southsouth; Prof. Eme Awa(1987-19890—South-East; Prof. Humphrey Nwosu (1989-1993)—Southeast; Prof. Okon Uya and Chief Sumner Dagogo-Jack (1994-1998)—-Southsouth; Justice Ephraim Akpate (1998-2000)—Southsouth; Prof. Abel Guobadia(2000—2005)—Southsouth; Prof. Maurice Iwu (2005-2010)—Southeast; and Prof. Attahiru Jega (2010-2015).
A source said: “Of the six geo-political zones, only three have produced INEC chairman. The zones yet to produce one are: Northeast, Northcentral and Southwest. This is why ethnic or geo-political politics is beclouding the lobbying.
“The decision will be tough for the President because his predecessor, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, opted for a Northerner as INEC chairman. This is a template which cannot be ignored. Jonathan might have copied the template from former President Ibrahim Babangida, the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha; and ex-Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.
“Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo however jettisoned the template when he appointed Guobadia and Iwu from the Southsouth and the Southeast.
”From the meticulous method Buhari has adopted in making appointments, merit and incorruptibility might be his yardsticks, irrespective of geo-political zones. Some of these candidates have started lobbying for the plum job. The search is, however, difficult by the standard set by Jega.

Read also: INEC makes case for Zakari on tenure

“As for geopolitical zone, as long as Buhari gets a competent hand, he can still appoint a new INEC chairman from the Northwest. If you look at past successive chief electoral officers, a Southsouth candidate has replaced another.”
Mrs. Zakari appears the aspirant to beat.
Those backing her, mostly gender advocates, are flaunting “her rich career experience, devotion to duty, grasp of the electoral process and her tutelage under Jega”, a source said, adding that: “these feminine advocates have taken their agitation to some UN organisations and embassies on why a woman should lead INEC for the first time.
“But the reservations about her include her past service under a former FCT Minister, who is now a governor, her continued service in INEC after the expiration of her tenure on July 21, alleged illegality of her appointment as acting INEC chairman; opposition by PDP and mudslinging by some of her co-aspirants.”
A Presidency source said President was yet to discuss his nominees for INEC.
“So far, there is an acting chairman and contrary to some insinuations, the choice of Amina Zakari as acting chairman is legal.”
It was gathered that the President would need to consult with the Council of State before appointing the next INEC chairman.
“This means, President Buhari must do his homework very well in appointing the new INEC chairman and RECs. By Monday, only two National Commissioners will be in charge of INEC. Also, about six RECs are left nationwide,” a former National Commissioner said.

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0 Comments

  1. Oise Oikelomen

    August 13, 2015 at 6:29 am

    Let the job go to the most capable and competent person, regardless of gender or ethnicity. If Zakari gets the job, let it be on the basis of merit, not to placate some noisy feminists.

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