To Jega, a wake-up call!

THE job of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is without doubt one of the most crucial assignments for the success of democracy. And in that office, Prof. Attahiru Jega has enjoyed so much goodwill. He came in, in the wake of a general election generally acknowledged as the worst in the history of modern elections, which produced a president who described himself as a product of a “flawed election”.

And Jega’s predecessor in office, Prof. Maurice Iwu, who superintended over the electoral disaster bowed out of office in circumstances entirely unsalutary, having been excoriated by all and sundry, including the beneficiaries of the charade. In order to salvage the situation and redeem a terribly bad image created by the flawed election, it became imperative to rejig the electoral commission as a way of giving credibility to subsequent elections. Only a man of proven integrity and popular appeal would be good enough to be charged with the responsibility of overseeing the electoral commission. It was against this background that Jega, one-time president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), became an acceptable, even promising choice.

Undoubtedly, he came with a rich pedigree which generated immense applause for his appointment and bolstered the image of his appointer. Whether Jega has been able to live up to this groundswell of expectation is another issue altogether which historians may want to address some day. But one thing is certain: Nigerians have remained faithful to Jega, they have been so kind to him and have been so forgiving of his missteps even when he did not ask for it and when he appeared undeserving of it.

Although he gave the impression that INEC was sufficiently prepared for the 2011 elections, it turned out on the day of election that the Commission was ill-prepared in spite of the scandalous monetary allocation made to it to stave off any excuse of non-performance. The hiccups that surfaced necessitated the postponement of the election for some days. Subsequent elections conducted by him have been similarly afflicted with the same virus.

The recent gubernatorial election in Anambra State, acknowledged as a major disaster, is still very fresh in mind. Similarly, the irregularity occasioned by the late arrival of electoral materials in the Delta Senatorial re-run election remains a subject of controversy in the state and hot legal contest. It is, therefore, not out of place to conclude that Jega’s appointment merely raised hope, but the jury is still out on his performance.
His public statements in particular, have further crashed expectations, leaving Nigerians close to despondency. Most of the time, he speaks to the wrong audience and on inauspicious occasions. The latest in the series of such statements was when he addressed the new United States ambassador to Nigeria who paid a courtesy call on him. Jega used the occasion to warn Nigerians that “we are not promising a perfect election in 2015 but we are confident that we will do our best.” Not only was that statement misguided and indiscreet, the forum was also misplaced and inappropriate. It should not have been addressed to an envoy as that was capable of provoking comments from him which government may find unsavoury and be regarded as undue interference in the domestic affairs of the country. That happened before.

More important, Nigerians see that statement on one hand, as Jega’s insurance against failure and, sadly, a surreptitious way of passing a vote of no confidence in himself. Heightening the fears of Nigerians about the 2015 elections will not only be counterproductive, it will equally do more harm to Jega’s integrity and credibility as it is a tacit admission of the inefficiency and incompetence of the organization he heads. Beyond that, the statement is laden with negative prognostications, which will invariably affect the legitimacy of the 2015 elections and strengthen opposition to the outcome of the election, thereby constituting a major threat to a smooth or peaceful transition of power in the next dispensation. In other words, it is an open invitation to electoral fraud and a veritable leverage for whoever desires to challenge the outcome of the election.

Yet so much has been given to Jega’s INEC in terms of logistics for purposes of the election; how can he in good conscience turn around to warn Nigerians not to expect a perfect election? To what does he owe the huge resources allocated to INEC? Rather than make unguarded statements, Jega should settle down to his job, rededicate himself appropriately and positively to organising a credible and flawless election as obtained in other African countries. Nigerians expect nothing less in 2015 in spite of reasonable apprehension to the contrary. With the right attitude, unity of action and sincerity of purpose on the part of Jega and his staff, this is certainly not a tall order.

Nigerians reject totally Jega’s thesis on the expectation of an imperfect election. For that is not what he is paid to do. If the professor of political science and former vice-chancellor of a university cannot guarantee a perfect election, this is the time to throw in the towel and give room to someone who is willing to do so.