- He has done well; but we must continue to work towards strengthening INEC
The nation was virtually on tenterhooks. The March 28 presidential election had successfully held nationwide despite logistical lapses in some areas. Yet, the unprecedented number of voters who participated in the exercise believed in the integrity of the process and the sanctity of their votes. As the vote collation entered the third day and concluding stages under the exhaustive coverage of national and global media, it was obvious that the incumbent, Dr Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was heading for defeat, with President Muhammadu Buhari of the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) having the upper hand.
All of a sudden, an unanticipated drama erupted. The PDP polling agent, Elder Godswill Orubebe, a former Minister of the Federal Republic, seized the centre stage at the venue. He snatched the microphone, threw tantrums, accused the electoral umpire of being biased in favour of the opposition and disrupted proceedings for nearly half an hour. It appeared to be a carefully planned plot to abort the process.
But the man in charge of proceedings, Professor Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not fall for the bait. He remained calm and unruffled until an apparently exhausted Orubebe dropped the microphone and regained his composure. After cautioning Orubebe against such behaviour, especially given his status in society in an exhibition of deep intellect and maturity, Jega continued with his sensitive task. Ex-President Jonathan later that day called Buhari on phone to congratulate him on his victory shortly before Jega announced the results of the historic election. Two weeks later, Jega’s INEC conducted substantially successful state governorship and House of Assembly elections, even though the latter were marred by brazen violence and rigging, especially in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
On Tuesday, Professor Jega voluntarily bowed out of office at the expiration of his five-year tenure. He is no doubt leaving behind a legacy of honour. He conducted himself throughout his occupation of the hot seat with dignity and integrity. Most Nigerians applauded his nomination on June 8, 2010 as Chairman of INEC by President Jonathan because of his track record as an honest, principled, committed and patriotic academic, administrator and activist.
Yet, some also felt that as a member of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral reforms Committee that recommended the appointment of the INEC Chairman by the National Judicial Council (NJC) rather than the President, he ought not to have accepted the offer. But the nation is certainly the better for his acceptance to serve. Jega has set a standard, which future occupants of the office will be under pressure to maintain, if not exceed.
Despite Jega’s successes, there is still a long way to go towards achieving the credible and reliable electoral system that can guarantee democratic sustainability in Nigeria. True, the introduction of Electronic Card Readers and Permanent Voters Cards under Jega have enhanced the integrity and transparency of the process. However, it is still necessary to implement those aspects of the Justice Uwais panel, such as involving the judiciary in the appointment of the INEC chairman to guarantee greater autonomy as well as taking more effective steps to apprehend and punish electoral offenders.
Jega’s tenure also showed that it is not enough to have a man of integrity at the head of the commission while some Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and other lower to middle cadre officers remain vulnerable to partisan and corruptive influences. Professor Jega tried with a high degree of success to overcome this problem by appointing his trusted vice-chancellor colleagues as Returning Officers. Commendable as this innovation may be, there is no alternative to having an electoral process built on systemic credibility and integrity irrespective of the personality at its helm. We congratulate Professor Jega for his patriotic and courageous service to his nation and wish him success in his future endeavours.
