How Jega became the devil

If you are looking for evidence of disarray
within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP )
ranks, look no further than the mixed
signals it is sending over how it views its
newest bête noire – chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) , Prof. Attahiru Jega .
Party chairman, Adamu Muazu , now says
the ruling party has absolute confidence in
Jega’ s ability to organise free and fair
elections. Coming against the backdrop of
the demonisation of the man by leading
members of PDP – like head of the
Presidential Campaign Council , Ahmadu Ali ,
spokesman , Femi Fani - Kayode and Ijaw
leader , Chief Edwin Clark, this conciliatory
statement was a tad suspicious .
It was reminiscent of the public show of
support that some owners of struggling
English Premier League clubs often extend
to their embattled managers. Perhaps it was
to lull the unsuspecting fellows into a false
sense of security . More often than not, days
after receiving the dreaded vote of
confidence they get the sack.
Predictably, Muazu was calling Jega a liar
twenty four hours later when he received a
delegation of Africa Union ( AU) election
observers in Abuja .
One of the buzzwords of the Goodluck
Jonathan administration is ‘ transformation . ’
After the theatrics of the last fortnight, I now
concede that PDP is truly the party of
‘ uncommon transformation ’ . In a matter of
weeks they have managed to convince
themselves – only – that the mild -
mannered Jega is a devil with two horns .
How this dramatic transformation has come
about remains a mystery . But the
relationship has so deteriorated that Clark
and his group not only demanded the INEC
chief’ s resignation but also his arrest .
Some so -called ‘ Goodluck Jonathan Lagos
Grassroots ’ group has been placing full -
page advertisements in newspapers listing
what it considers evidence of the electoral
umpire ’ s bias . The adverts usually end with
an earnest prayer or wish for his
resignation.
This is the same man that supervised the
enthronement of Jonathan as president in
2011 even when his chief rival ,
Muhammadu Buhari, was crying that the
polls were rigged .
He is the same fellow who oversaw the Ekiti
State 2014 governorship polls . When
Fayose ‘ defeated ’ Fayemi the commission
was lauded even when only 476, 870
prospective voters, representing 64. 98
percent were eligible to vote in the exercise.
INEC in the state received 732, 166
Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs ) for
distribution but only 476 , 870 were
collected. Out of this, approximately 65%
that were eligible voters even less – 360,
455 – not up to 50% of those on the roll ,
took up the option of exercising their rights .
PDP didn’ t quibble about statistics back
then; they joyfully claimed ‘ victory’ .
Now the party ’ s Presidential Campaign
Organisation is demanding 100 % PVC
distribution as the basis for assessing
INEC’ s success or failure . In 2014 in Ekiti ,
65% was wonderful , in 2015 that level of
card release has become not only
unacceptable; it is evidence of Jega ’ s
partiality.
Although he has firmly stated that the polls
earlier slated for February were shifted on
the strength of a letter written to him by
Service Chiefs demanding a six- week
postponement , the ruling party insists on
pushing its version of events that it was
also down to the commission not being
prepared .
Well , PDP got its postponement , but it
harvested widespread condemnation for
forcing it through at gunpoint . Hell hath no
fury like a drowning incumbent or party –
especially when handed a pyrrhic victory.
The speed with which the military high
command rushed out its pledge of
‘ neutrality ’ after the contentious shift ,
underscores how damaging the military’ s
meddling has been for the powers -that - be .
Jega would have been crowned with a halo
by now if only he had sung from the ruling
party ’ s smeared hymn sheet and accepted
his commission was unprepared.
Unfortunately , the professor doesn ’ t do
political karaoke !
In the hands of the PDP , the INEC boss has
now been conferred with a special talent for
ubiquity that only a Nigerian equivalent of
the Scarlet Pimpernel can manage . He ’ s
been seen by ruling party agents – here ,
there and everywhere . Today , when he isn ’ t
holding meetings with the Northern Elders
Forum ( NEF) , he is closeted with All
Progressives Congress ( APC ) top shots in
the agreeable environs of Dubai to plot the
best way to ease Buhari into Aso Rock. That
is according to the spooks at Legacy
House .
He has , according to PDP , come up with a
scheme that has ensured that PVCs were
distributed in such a way that they all
landed in APC strongholds. Only a
‘ naughty ’ professor could have pulled that
off .
As though his litany of sins were not
enough to send him on pre - retirement
leave immediately , Jega has suddenly
developed a suspicious fondness for
technology. It is enough to infuriate any
patriot who ’ s not a supporter of the
opposition .
Why can ’ t we return to the perfect 2011
TVCs since many haven ’ t received
Temporary Voters Cards (TVCs ) , the PDP
has asked? Never mind that only PVCs were
used in the Osun and Ekiti elections and no
one asked for Jega and his team to be
strung up on trees.
And what is this strange device called the
card reader which would require a team of
nuclear scientists from NASA to test
properly before they can be used by dim
witted Nigerian voters ? The fact that we all
use ATM machines, debit and credit cards,
is no reason to burden us with such
sophisticated things as PVCs. Truly , Jega
must be a devilish alien sent to cause
confusion in Nigeria .
But hang on for a minute . Didn’ t Jonathan
promise at his Lagos rally that he was now
going to fight corruption with technology?
His team was probably tuned to a different
frequency . If our great leader is now a
convert to technology, why are his people
still unbelievers – rooted in the dark ages ?
Indeed , Jonathan has even boasted that it
was under his watch that Nigerians first
started bothering about voters’ card. Before
him, I suspect , voters were probably
content with identifying themselves using
palm fronds . Truly , a president with many
firsts!
In the past , opposition parties were usually
the ones to moan about the partiality and
incompetence of INEC and its predecessors .
For the first time ever a government in
power is rolling out its entire machinery to
demonise and destroy the electoral arbiter.
For me, it is a sign that the commission ’ s
leadership is inching in the direction of
impartiality.
When the elections finally hold on March 28
and April 11, they will not be perfect. There
would be much for all sides to criticise . The
losers in this bitter contest are bound to
end up in court . However, I find it
interesting that PDP is setting such
standards for INEC before it would accept
the results of the coming polls .
Among other things , it is demanding that
every registered voter must have a PVC –
even those who refuse to make the effort to
go and pick up theirs ; every card reader
must be proven to be functioning; better
still , let ’ s go back to TVCs ; it even wants to
get into the commission’ s internal
administrative arrangements to ensure that
APC sympathisers are not in the majority !
What is sauce for Jega should be sauce for
Jonathan. Perhaps we should apply the
same high standards set for INEC to assess
the PDP ’ s presidential candidate. Before he
can be reelected Nigerians want 24 hour
electricity , perfectly tarred federal roads in
cities and nicely- finished inter - state
highways .
We also demand the return of all Nigerian
territories seized by insurgents – in other
words , the country as Jonathan received it
in 2011 ; the return of the abducted Chibok
girls unharmed; pipe borne water ; health
care in every hamlet , a 10 % drop in crime
rate; single - digit inflation rate ; single- digit
unemployment rate etc – just to mention a
few things on our shopping list . Good luck
Jonathan!