According to reports, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega might be asked to proceed on terminal leave next week.
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| Attahiru Jega |
The disclosure was made by Senators belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus during a press conference on Thursday, February 26, The Cable reports.
Senator George Akume, who represents Benue West, reportedly stated that the Head of Service would soon instruct Jega to proceed on terminal leave.
“We
have received information that next week Jega will be served a letter
from the head of service directing him to proceed on terminal leave. We
wonder why the government wants to tamper with the current arrangement
of INEC,” Akume said.
“Only dishonest politicians fear Jega as chairman of INEC,” Akume added.
The APC Senators also condemned the attempts to remove Jega describing any such plan as a “subversion of the system”.
They
also argued that the Civil Service Rules which provide for terminal
leave do not apply to the INEC Chairman who is not a civil servant but a
political appointee.
“We want elections that
are credible. We oppose Jega’s removal by the back door. On a daily
basis, Jega is being attacked. We condemn what the government wants to
do. This is the road to Golgotha. I wonder why they want to destroy this
country,” Akume said.
Rumours of Jega’s proposed removal have flooded the media since the postponement of the general elections.
Reports had it that the Presidency had grown disillusioned with the INEC chairman and had plans to replace him with Olufemi Mimiko, a Professor and brother to Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko.
Jega’s spokesman, Kayode Idowu has however dismissed the Senators’ statements saying that there is no such plan in the offing.
-culled from pulseng
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