Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has described
outbursts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over
the possible removal of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Attahiru
Jega as "mere comedy," saying; "President Goodluck
Jonathan can sack Jega if he wishes and if he does,
heavens will not fall."
The governor, who said the APC should stop acting as if
Nigeria belongs to the party, added that; "by turning
themselves to advocates and defenders of the INEC
chairman, the APC and its agents have shown that they
have a deal with Jega to manipulate the elections and
that the deal will be frustrated if he is asked to leave
office."
Governor Fayose said in a release issued on Wednesday,
and signed by his Special Assistant on Public
Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, that
"removal of Jega and any other appointees of the
Federal Government is a prerogative of the president,
which no one can question, provided laid down rules
are followed."
He said the position expressed by the House of
Representatives was that of the APC members in the
House, urging that "the APC lawmakers should rather
pay attention to the ill-health of their party's
presidential candidate, Major General Mohammadu
Buhari (rtd), whose whereabouts is now a mystery."
The governor described Jega as partisan, saying; "By his
actions and utterances, Jega had already demonstrated
his bias in support of the APC.
For instance, how can Jega explain the 80 percent
distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in Boko
Haram ravaged Borno and Yobe States while less than
40 percent distributed in Lagos as at February 7 that the
election was postponed?"
He said; "It is on record that Prof Maurice Iwu was
asked to proceed on terminal leave two months to the
end of his tenure? Is Jega not a beneficiary of Iwu's
removal? So if Iwu was asked to go on terminal leave
before the expiration of his tenure for Jega to assume
office, what difference does it make if Jega too is asked
to proceed on terminal leave before the expiration of
his tenure?"
Speaking further, Governor Fayose said; "it is the
president that can determine whether or not Jega will
go on the mandatory three months terminal leave
which should commence on March 8, and if the
president decides that the INEC chairman should go on
terminal leave, what can the APC loudmouths do?
"They boasted before the postponement of the elections
that they would go on street protests, but did they do
anything? They made noise when Justice Isa Ayo Salami
was removed from office as president of the Court of
Appeal, what did their noise amount to?
"Therefore, let me say it categorically that the noise
being made by the APC and their agents will amount to
nothing because if the president removes Jega today,
heavens will not fall."
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