BY Ibraheem Alawode
President Goodluck Jonathan has said that Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), cannot “just be removed” if he has not done something wrong.
Speaking on Monday in an interview with Aljazeera, the president said that he had no plans to use the extant rules on Jega by sending him on terminal leave before his tenure expires.
When questioned what his intentions were about the fate of the chairman, he said: “Except somebody is insinuating that the chairman has done something wrong, you cannot change an officer, except the person has done something wrong.
“Government does not just wake up, whether at the federal or state level, president or governor, does not wake up and change somebody, especially INEC – a very sensitive body.
“So for me to change INEC chairman, people, both Nigerians and non-Nigerians, would ask questions. You cannot just wake up and change INEC chairman; I have never discussed with any human being on earth about changing the INEC chairman.”
The president also said the subject of corruption in Nigeria had been politicised.
“Yes, people talk about corruption now because it has become political issue and when you promote something to the level of politics, it goes out of proportion,” he said.
“I am not saying that Nigerians do not have this element of corruption. If you start from my former CBN governor who said $49.8 billion, what is Nigeria’s budget? If today we lose $49.8 billion, the next morning he said it was $12 billion, the following morning he said it was $20 billion. Till today, I don’t know the one to believe.
“The senate set up a committee to investigate and they used a consultant and only fond out that $2 billion was not properly balanced. They did not say anybody stole it.”
Jonathan said he would not allow violence after election if he does not win the election.
“It is not by default,” he said. “The country is not my father’s estate. [If I lose the election, I will go to my village.”
This website uses cookies.