His coming was in a seeming blaze of glory; an erudite scholar, highly principled, well-focused and an accomplished academia.Still, the Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, may soon begiven the same treatment that appears to havebeen reserved for those with sterling qualities, but who refuse to dance to the high-tempo tunes played from the corridors of power.Do I need to remind you of a former Minister ofState for Finance, Remi Babalola, who dared tosay that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was broke? Is it necessary to refresh your memory with the case of the immediate past Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi (now Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II), after he claimed that some huge sums of foreign currencies were missing from the account of the oil corporation?Ever looking unruffled, the former vice-chancellor will right now be thinking on how to survive what I will like to refer to as his last battle.Despite his mastery of the nation’s political landscape, being his field, his piece onIdentitytransformationandidentity politics under structural adjustment in Nigeria,in a book he edited in 2000, may not be able to save him, if reasons fail to prevail in the ongoingpalongodance to uproot him as the INEC boss.Some self-appointed messiah have taken it asa task to give the former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, a bad name in order to hang him.On Jega, however, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress have expectedly taken their arguments in opposite directions. For the ruling party, the argument is not whether the INEC boss should be sacked; the question it wants answered is whythe APC is kicking against Jega’s sacking.Before now, the PDP had alleged that the INEC boss met some key opposition figures in Dubai, to plot how to skew the crucial election in favour of a particular candidate from the North. Never mind that this allegation could not be backed with any strand of evidence.According to the rules relating to Jega’s appointment, the INEC boss is expected to proceed on a three-month terminal leave, and the government is set to respect this all-important provision, which ultimately makes it mandatory for the INEC boss to start the leave by March.Though, not too politically suave, I recollect that the then ‘much-relegated’ Vice President Goodluck Jonathan became the acting President of Nigeria on February 9, 2009, through an instrument of the Senate that became known as the doctrine of necessity when the country was heading for a major constitutional crisis.One wonders how Jega’s terminal leave has become much more important than the elections involving not just 54 million potentialvoters nor about 160 million Nigerians but the life of the nation’s democracy.Does this not amount to shifting the goalpost, yes, goalpost, in the middle of the game, especially when no one has asked Jega whether he will prefer to literally abandon this ship in the middle of an ocean for his much-missed terminal leave or not? It appears to me that some elements are trying to take an overdose of pain killer for Jega’s headache. Is the National Assembly (if the organ is still alive though) saying such a doctrine that handed over power to Jonathan, could no longer be evoked to avert another major crisis?It’s becoming apparent that some people are unmindful of what this desperate move to remove Jega, if it succeeds, could fetch the country.Some key characters in the land have openly accused the political science professor of practically making up his mind to rig the presidential election in favour of a northern candidate. Expectedly, Jonathan’s godfather and Ijaw rights defender, Chief Edwin Clark, and a former Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, have shouted the loudest among those calling for Jega’s head before the March 28 polls.Ezeife, a 76-year-old former university lecturer, in a national newspaper on January 15, 2014, said, “Nigeria will break if Jonathan is not allowed to contest.” He followed it up 10days later with another salvo (in the newspaper) that “Stopping Jonathan in 2015 will have grave consequences.” Can you see why Ezeife, who ruled Anambra for 23 months,may eventually displace Doyin Okupe but for the former’s age?Ezeife appears to be gunning for the ultimate; to probably preside or install a “proper” umpire, who will conduct the election proper. Having not satisfied with alleging that the INEC boss planned to rig in favour of the North,the ex-governor, again on November 19 last year, declared, “Jega has clear intention to rig,” unfortunately but not surprisingly, without supplying any evidence to support this allegation.Now, Ezeife has spoken that he is sure that Jega will not be the one to conduct the 2015 elections. With his earlier ‘prophecies’, laced with threats and sounds of war coming true, he may likely have his way as the former don, who once nursed the ambition to become the nation’s President, may be speaking for the ultimate voice, Jonathan and his powerful backers.It may be instructive, however, to remember the words of our National Anthem and the Pledge, to relegate our selfish interests to the background for the common good of the entirecountry; to refuse the temptation of setting thecountry on fire on the altar of pursuing personal, self-serving interest.While Jega may be fighting the greatest battle of his life, to preserve his name from being soiled, we collectively can avert yet another crisis, and allow the INEC boss, to conduct the elections before proceeding on his much-desired leave.
The consequences may not be palatable.