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11 In Race To Succeed Jega by wandevincent(m): 12:43pm On Aug 10, 2015 |
Who will be the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) chairman?
The question became more pertinent at the
weekend, with more officials leaving the
agency.
Of the 13 National Commissioners, only four,
including the Acting National Chairman, Mrs.
Amina Zakari, remain in office.
But of the four, two (Mr. Chris Iyimoga and
Amb. Mohammad Ahmad Wali) will complete
their five-year tenure today.
Zakari and Nwuruku will be left to run the
commission.
Also, about six of the 37 Resident Electoral
Commissioners (RECs) have finished their
terms of office.
The development has heightened the lobbying
for the commission’s chairman.
The Presidency is shopping for credible
candidates as INEC chairman and RECs.
No fewer than 10 candidates are jostling to be
chairman.
Some of those being speculated are: Mrs.
Zakari; two former National Commissioners
(Lai Olurode and Nuru Yakubu); the Director-
General of INEC Electoral Institute, Prof.
Abubakar Momoh; Mr. Festus Okoye ( a
human rights activist); Mr. Mike Igini and
three unnamed candidates.
A retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice
Muhammadu Uwais, who was the chairman of
an Electoral Reform Committee raised by the
late President Umaru Yar’Adua, has been
suggested for the job, but there is a snag: his
age.
The top contender for the coveted seat is Mrs.
Zakari, a princess of Hadejia, Kano State in
the Northwest.
Besides coming from the same geopolitical
zone with Jega, Mrs. Zakari is the first woman
vying for the Chief Electoral Officer.
It was gathered that there were issues on
whether or not the President should appoint
the INEC chairman from the North or the
South.
The last occupant of the office, Prof. Attahiru
Jega, came from Kebbi State in the Northwest.
The North-South dichotomy has placed a
burden on the Presidency and made the race
to succeed Jega keener, The Nation learnt.
The geo-political breakdown of past INEC
chairmen is as follows: Chief Eyo Esua
(1964-1966)—Southsouth; Chief Michael Ani
(1979)—Southsouth; Justice Victor Ovie-
Whiskey (1983)—Southsouth; Prof. Eme Awa
(1987-19890—South-East; Prof. Humphrey
Nwosu (1989-1993)—Southeast; Prof. Okon
Uya and Chief Sumner Dagogo-Jack
(1994-1998)—-Southsouth; Justice Ephraim
Akpate (1998-2000)—Southsouth; Prof. Abel
Guobadia(2000—2005)—Southsouth; Prof.
Maurice Iwu (2005-2010)—Southeast; and
Prof. Attahiru Jega (2010-2015).
A source said: “Of the six geo-political zones,
only three have produced INEC chairman. The
zones yet to produce one are: Northeast,
Northcentral and Southwest. This is why
ethnic or geo-political politics is beclouding
the lobbying.
“The decision will be tough for the President
because his predecessor, ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan, opted for a Northerner as
INEC chairman. This is a template which
cannot be ignored. Jonathan might have
copied the template from former President
Ibrahim Babangida, the late Head of State,
Gen. Sani Abacha; and ex-Head of State Gen.
Abdulsalami Abubakar.
“Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo however
jettisoned the template when he appointed
Guobadia and Iwu from the Southsouth and
the Southeast.
”From the meticulous method Buhari has
adopted in making appointments, merit and
incorruptibility might be his yardsticks,
irrespective of geo-political zones. Some of
these candidates have started lobbying for the
plum job. The search is, however, difficult by
the standard set by Jega.
“As for geopolitical zone, as long as Buhari
gets a competent hand, he can still appoint a
new INEC chairman from the Northwest. If you
look at past successive chief electoral officers,
a Southsouth candidate has replaced another.”
Mrs. Zakari appears the aspirant to beat.
Those backing her, mostly gender advocates,
are flaunting “her rich career experience,
devotion to duty, grasp of the electoral
process and her tutelage under Jega”, a
source said, adding that: “these feminine
advocates have taken their agitation to some
UN organisations and embassies on why a
woman should lead INEC for the first time.
“But the reservations about her include her
past service under a former FCT Minister, who
is now a governor, her continued service in
INEC after the expiration of her tenure on July
21, alleged illegality of her appointment as
acting INEC chairman; opposition by PDP and
mudslinging by some of her co-aspirants.”
A Presidency source said President was yet to
discuss his nominees for INEC.
“So far, there is an acting chairman and
contrary to some insinuations, the choice of
Amina Zakari as acting chairman is legal.”
Section 318(4) of the Constitution states that
‘The Interpretation Act shall apply for the
purpose of interpreting the provisions of this
Constitution.’
“Section 11 of the Interpretation Act empowers
whoever can make a substantive appointment
to appoint a person in an acting capacity. It is
misleading to say that there is no provision for
any acting capacity in INEC.”
As of press time, it was gathered that the
President would need to consult with the
Council of State before appointing the next
INEC chairman.
“This means, President Buhari must do his
homework very well in appointing the new
INEC chairman and RECs. By Monday, only
two National Commissioners will be in charge
of INEC. Also, about six RECs are left
nationwide,” a former National Commissioner
said.
“Section 154(3) of the 1999 Constitution
empowers the President to consult the Council
of State before appointing INEC chairman and
National Commissioners.
The section reads in part: “In exercising his
powers to appoint a person as Chairman or
member of INEC, National Judicial Council, the
Federal Judicial Service Commission or the
National Population Commission, the President
shall consult the Council of State.”
Also, sections 14 and 15 of Part 1 of the Third
Schedule of the 1999 Constitution states: “The
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) shall comprise the following members
(a) a Chairman, who shall be the Chief
Electoral Commissioner; and (b) twelve other
members to be known as National Electoral
Commissioners.
“A member of the Commission shall be (a)
non-partisan and a person of unquestionable
integrity (b) be not less than 40 years of age
in the case of the chairman and not less than
35 years of age in the case of the National
Commissioners
“There shall be for each state of the
Federation and the Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja, a Resident Electoral Commissioner who
shall (a ) be appointed by the President
subject to confirmation by the Senate (b) be
a person of unquestionable integrity and shall
not be a member of any political party and (c)
not be less than 35 years of age.
“The Commission shall have power to (a)
organise , undertake and supervise all
elections to the offices of the President and
Vice President, the Governor and Deputy
Governor of a State, and to the membership of
the Senate, the House of Representatives and
the House of Assembly of each state of the
Federation.” |
Re: 11 In Race To Succeed Jega by Pierocash(m): 1:00pm On Aug 10, 2015 |
how many meters is d race? I guess Usain Bolt has a better chance in this. |
Re: 11 In Race To Succeed Jega by merry02(m): 1:19pm On Aug 10, 2015 |
Anybody but not Zakari! |
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