Jega has already drafted his resignation letter - Source

Information available from sources within the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] indicates that the days of the INEC chairman may be numbered at the seat of Chair of the INEC.

A close source to the INEC Chairman reveals that the Chairman has already drafted his resignation letter – in wait for the “right moment”.

According to the available information, the embattled INEC Chairman had opted to resign several times before the 2015 election following unflattering practices attributed to his person and office.

The latest round of accusation against the INEC Chairman comes amid calls for his resignation over broad allegations of bias from groups across the country. 

Many of the groups alleged that Prof Jega’s actions had showed his bias against the southern regions of Nigerian and against political parties who are not in-line with the All Progressive Congress [APC].

One of the groups who spoke to our correspondent indicate that the INEC Chairman had aided the merger process of the APC in a fashion that went beyond the duties of an INEC chairman.

“Prof Jega was holding closed door meetings with members of the would-be APC on how to properly apply for the merger of the three parties in a legal manner” said the leader who went on to add that Prof Jega was “in fact assisting them to collect the necessary items” they needed to complete the application process. “He was acting as an associate of the party”.

The security report on Prof Jega prior to his becoming the INEC chairman – which was leaked out of the State Security Service [SSS] offices indicating that Prof Jega may have not been an upright operator as thought – has caused many within the INEC to take a closer look at the chairman.

According to the report by the SSS, it was gathered that while Prof Jega served as the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano, he engaged in contract fraud and other related financial crimes.

Particularly, it was gathered that many of the awards of contracts for infrastructural development within the university campus was awarded to companies owned by Prof. Jega. The companies were operated as fronts by many of Jega’s extended family members and friends.

The sharp practices contained in the report were brought to the attention of the President by the agents of the SSS. President Jonathan was not pleased with the contents of the security report.

But it took the intervention of the Principal Secretary to the Presidency, Hassan Tukur who impressed on President Jonathan that the addition of Prof Jega would be an added bonus to the integrity of the INEC.

The President heeded to the plea of Hassan Tukur – and announced the appointment of Prof Jega as the new INEC chairman.

But Jega’s announcement as the new INEC chairman came with its bit of drawbacks for the President. This is as the INEC Chairman remained at an arm’s length away from the President.

The INEC Chairman, unlike the other INEC chairmen that came before him, developed a cold relationship with the President. According to sources, Prof. Jega would only brief the President on the progress reports and/or status reports on a biweekly basis – and nothing more.

“He did not consult the President on any matters – neither did he attempt to develop a cordial relationship with the president. Prof Jega’s demeanor towards the President, according to sources, concerned some of the handlers of the Presidency who saw Jega’s attitude as suspicious and unhealthy for the institution of the INEC.

When the President was alerted on the possible suspicious demeanor of the INEC Chairman, the President was quick to refer them to Hassan Tukur’s assurance that Prof. Jega was not a worry.

However with the built up the 2015 presidential elections, Prof Jega’s attitude began to lose its shell – and began to show its true intentions. It gradually started to become clearer to the presidency that Prof. Jega may have been working with the opposition party in seeking to return power to the core north.

As claimed in the recent press conference held by the Southern Nigerian Peoples Assembly led by trio of Senator Femi Okurounmu, Chief Edwin Clark and former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme represented by Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, the exercise to selectively increase the number of polling units in the northern region of the country raised eyebrows – as to the reasons behind the abrupt decision by the INEC chairman.

The fast actions of National commissioners from the southern regions of the country halted the INEC Chairman from proceeding to implement his desired to populate the northern part of the country with the larger majority of the polling units. It took the arm twisting of the INEC Chairman to back-down from the decision.

When Prof Jega’s effort to populate the north with polling units failed, he devised a plan to use the ‘Permanent Voters Card [PVC] to create the needed imbalance in the north/south polity.

Anchoring his plan on the rule that all voters must have a PVC before being allowed to vote, the INEC Chairman and some of his national chairmen devised a plan to give the northern part of he country an overwhelming advantage in the distribution of the said PVCs.

The PVC were effectively distributed through the Imams and other community leaders in select states of the core north where the APC supporters are known to concentrate.

While in the southern regions of country, the PVCs were dumped at the respective INEC offices at the local government areas – for the owners to come and collect. For this reason, the collection percentage of the PVCs in the northern region became much more higher than those in the southern region. It exposed what appears a structured disparity.

Mr. President, according to presidential sources, is not happy with Prof. Jega as a result.

“Arrangements are on the offing to begin the removal process for the INEC chairman” says the source who also emphasized that the INEC chairman is also aware of the process – and has decided to hang-on to raise some ‘dust’ before existing the INEC offices.

“The Prof knows that he is going”. But it remains to be seen if the President would follow through on his stated intent to remove the INEC chairman and to replace him with a Professor from the South west region. The brother to the governor of Ondo state – has been touted as a possible replacement for Prof Jega.

When our correspondent reached out to the INEC office through the spokesman, Kayode Idowu, he brushed aside Prof. Jega’s resignation as mere rumor.

He then added that Prof. Jega remains the INEC Chairman. “Jega will conduct this election” he added.