President Goodluck Jonathan has described as “stupid”, insinuations that he intends to sack Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking on Wednesday night at his first presidential media chat in nine months, Jonathan said he appointed Jega as INEC’s helmsman and he was certain that the professor of political science and his 12 national commissioners would do a good job with the 2015 elections.
“I appointed the INEC chairman and all the resident electoral commissioners but I also have the constitutional powers to remove them but will not do so. I have not told anyone that I am going to remove Jega,” he said.
“Let me reassure Nigerians that elections will be conducted in this country and a government will be inaugurated on May 29 this year. Let them not been perturbed by stories that are not real.
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“Nigerians should not be misled by the rumours that Mr. President wants to send INEC chairman on three months terminal leave and bring in someone that will manipulate the election. These are stupid things that people read. Those stories belong to the garbage world.
“People just go to the computer to send rubbish to people. The stories people read, less than 20 percent of it, particularly on the social media, that one can really say is credible. Even if there is some credibility, it is over-painted. The colours they give distorts the story and when it is distorted, the information that the story communicates is always wrong.”
He expressed concerns on the implication of the postponement of the election but maintained that it was in the interest of the country.
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“It is quite regrettable that INEC had to reschedule the election,” he said.
“For us who are politicians, it is more painful because it means more tensions, more sleepless nights and meetings but beyond that it is better for us to oragnise elections in a way that Nigerians would believe is credible.”
Jonathan added thatif the election does not end in his favour, he would not do anything to undermine the interest of the country.
“INEC is an independent body but if INEC does not conduct the elections well, it is on my head,” he said.
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“If the elections are conducted and I lose of course, we will inaugurate a new government.”
12 comments
Very straight to the point, and damn right!
Nobody was expecting a contrary claim than what Mr. President had just expressed. Such is synonymous to politicians. Let him tell all of that to Nigerians of yesterday when people were neither interested nor could see beyond their cubicle. Now people who have eyes can see more clearly the hand writings on the Wall and in Block letters, except for those who see what they wish to see or be swayed by Mr. President’s usual appeal to people’s emotions. Lets once again watch you act against your speech once again. We have been there spread and we ain’t getting no surprises anymore. If at all the rumours are been distorted as claimed, it definitely has some degree of facts. Let no man think Mr. President and his desperate party shifted the polls in the interest of Nigerians.
Your comments show how biased you are. It’s unfortunate
Not at all. The man is not biased. He is telling the plain truth. Just 2 weeks ago President Jonathan assured the American Secretary of State that elections will not be postponed. But we now know what that statement was worth
I wonder whether you are thinking right at all. To you, everyone is wrong except you? Even Mr President is also not trust wordy as far as you are concerned.
Andy: Is the President trustworthy? Or has he demonstrated sincerety in the administration of this country? Read the article again and you will see the loopholes and openings he left in his comments to allow him remove Jega.
Well, we are waiting just as the GOD ALMIGHTY is watching
Look at it this way, Jega has not provided PVC for about 23m people. How could he conduct election. Think well
Wat he said is right, it was Dis same president DAT said if he cannot make a better Nigeria in four years he will Neva do anything right even if he is there for hundred years; it was this same president that promise those in d diaspora that they will vote come2015, promise bbroken!, he was told Nigerians that they av arrange cease fire with book haram, but later said they did not arrange. What should Nigerians believe of Mr president? HE IS NOT TRUSTH WORTHY
You must be a very difficult and biased person.what to u want,the soul of the president?This is a president with no guile
You are still blind. The worst is that your blindness is incurable. Sorry.
I can’t believe people are still twisting facts even when Mr president has made his position known. By the way was Jega not meant to be sacked for the loopsidedness of pvc distribution? And for permitting registration of under-aged in the north? Was it not the same Jega that preempted this confusion as to whether election will hold or not in the three northern states by telling the world that he can not conduct election in an insecured place? How come such areas received more than 80% of their pvcs as compared to peaceful areas in the south with less than 50% collected?
We cannot trust Mr President because he is use to breaking of his promises. I wonder if some commentators here are Nigerians or foreigners. Something that is clear, we continue to pretend about it just for sentiment. Nigerians are wiser now and no one can deceive us again.