I’m Not Going Anywhere – Jega

Though some protesters, comprising some Nollywood actors and actresses and the factional leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Gani Adams, under the aegis of Coalition of Concerned Nigerians, have called for the removal of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, the INEC boss has declared that he is not going to quit his job.

The group, which took to the streets of Lagos yesterday, gave seven reasons why Jega has to go. But Jega reminded them yesterday that he was not under pressure to resign from office, just as he told critics calling for his sack that he would not resign because he had a job to do.
Jega also disclosed that he was satisfied with the improved security situation in the north eastern part of the country, just as he revealed that only internally displaced persons in the three affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, would be allowed to vote, effectively ruling out those who had fled to other states and Abuja, and neighbouring countries.
The INEC chairman stated these at the town hall meeting organised in Abuja by Reinvent Media, in conjunction Ford Foundation and Kukah Centre, where he fielded questions on the state of preparedness of the electoral commission ahead of the March 28 and April 11 elections.
On his protests and agitations from some quarters for him to resign, Jega declared: “I have a job to do and I remain focused to do it. It will be a dis-service for me to resign now.

“No reasonable person, in my view, who is holding this kind of job – like the one I am holding – will contemplate dropping everything and go on leave before the job is concluded.
“For me it is not an option and nobody has asked me to go on leave. We remain focused; we have a job to do and we are determined to conduct the best election for this country.
“I am not under pressure to resign. It would be disservice to the nation for me to say that I will resign when I have no reason to resign.”
He further denied reports that he was being forced to proceed on a terminal leave.
“Terminal leave is an option, a grace period given to anyone to go on leave before he finally leaves office. As I have said, earlier, I have a job to do till April 11. Terminal leave is not an option. Nobody has asked me to proceed on terminal leave other than what I read in the newspapers,” he insisted.
Jega described the calls for his resignation as diversionary and a game orchestrated by some politicians.
The INEC boss, who expressed confidence over the improved security situation in the northeast states affected by insurgency,
however, clarified that he was not in a proper position to speak on the security readiness for the elections.
On the readiness of the commission for the 2015 elections, he said: “We are ready and prepared for the elections and we will meet the aspirations of Nigeria.”
While expressing confidence in the integrity of the permanent voter cards (PVCs) and smart card readers (SCRs), he stressed that despite the raging controversy that has trailed the plan to use the technological devices, it remains the most formidable and reliable technology to check fraudulent alterations of electoral figure.
“We are ready for peaceful, credible and transparent elections. We are adequately prepared to provide a free and fair elections that is better than the 2011 election,” he restated.
According to him, in spite of the challenges of PVCs distribution, the commission was prepared to conduct the election by February 14, before it was postponed.
“When we said we were ready, we believed we were ready,” Jega said, noting that the challenges INEC faced at the time, especially with the   PVCs, “would not have undermined the integrity of the elections.”
On the true position of things concerning the Young Democratic Party (YDP), the INEC chairman said that the non-registration of the YDP will have no impact on the forthcoming elections, noting that the commission had already appealed against the order of the Federal High Court as well as a stay of execution.
He disclosed that the court had declined to make any order to the effect that YDP should partake in the general elections.
With regards to the use of military for elections, Jega stated it was expected that there would be three police personnel at the polling stations, but added that “no armed policeman is allowed within the polling units.”
According to him, “Armed police men are allowed only 300 metres from the polling units. The military personnel are allowed as defined in the constitution where they are expected to maintain their constitutional duties. The armed personnel are allowed to ensure that they maintain law and order. We have never have had military men within the polling units. The military is only invited by the inspector-general of police.”
Jega expressed satisfaction with the distribution of the PVCs, which he said is at over 81 percent, even as he gave the assurance that the remaining more than 700,000 PVCs would be made available to their respective states by tomorrow at the latest.