APC wanted Jega sacked last year, says Fayose

Ayo Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) openly called for the sack of Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), last year.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Fayose said APC needed to explain to Nigerians what changed between November last year and now because of the party’s demand that Jega should not be asked to go on terminal leave.

He said: “Nigerians must ask Buhari, Tinubu and other APC leaders, who led street protest against Jega, carrying placards with inscriptions such as ‘INEC not fit to conduct 2015 election’, ‘2015: No hope with Jega,’ what has changed about Jega’s credibility.

“Has the same Jega that they said cannot conduct the 2015 elections ceased from being a bad person? APC lost the Anambra election and took to the streets in Abuja, calling for Jega’s head. Is the INEC boss now doing their biddings because the APC will only stand against any individual or organisation that refused to be corrupted?

“No doubt, the hullaballoo of the APC and its agents concerning Jega’s position is suspect.”

Fayose also said his predecessor, Kayode Fayemi, does not have the moral right to oppose any move to remove Jega.

He said: “It is laughable that the same Fayemi who, as Ekiti State governor sacked the Vice Chancellor and two Deputy Vice Chancellors of the State University, as well as Chairmen and members of statutory commissions is the one sermonising about legality or otherwise of asking Jega to proceed on terminal leave.

“Fayemi, as governor sacked democratically elected Local Council chairmen and councillors… Chief Adeleye Awolumate [died] in the process of enforcing his illegal action. He sacked the Ekiti State University Vice Chancellor, Prof Dipo Kolawole via radio announcement, and dissolved statutory boards and commissions. Even when Courts ruled that his actions were illegal and unconstitutional, he refused to reinstate them.

“Isn’t it shameful and hypocritical that the same Fayemi is the one saying his party was fighting against the move to remove Jega because it amounted to breach of the law?”

The statement was signed by Fayose’s special assistant on public communications and new media, Lere Olayinka.