Tribute To Attahiru Jega

Prof. Attahiru
    Mohammadu Jega, on Tuesday, June 30, bowed out of office as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. He was appointed on June 30, 2010, by former President GoodluckEbele Jonathan.
Following his exit, President Buhari has appointed Mrs. AminaBalaZakari as Chairman of INEC. Zakari, the first female to occupy the position albeit in an acting capacity, was until Tuesday a national electoral commissioner.
The first litmus test for Jega was the 2011 general election which he conducted seven months into his appointment. He also carried out few staggered elections in Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Kogi, Anambra and Bayelsa before the 2015 general election, which observers claim was largely successful.
The former INEC boss is seen by many Nigerians as the most independent chairman of the Commission as well as one of the most funded. He enjoyed a good working relationship with his former boss.
I remember prior to the 2015 election, he said to Nigerians on a national television programme that he was grateful to God for the kind of man he worked with, referring to former President Jonathan.
In that pronouncement, the learned professor admitted that Jonathan never interfered in his duties but gave him a free hand to operate and granted him most of his requests.
I recall that before the 2011 election, Jega requested for about N80bn from the federal government but the Senate graciously approved over N100bn for him. That enabled him to reposition the Commission for effectiveness.
Despite the goodwill he enjoyed from the former administration, some Nigerians are unhappy with him over lapses observed in the two general elections he conducted. For instance, the outcome of the 2011 presidential election which former President Jonathan won was marred by violence in the north.
Similarly, the 2015 general election did not go without criticisms by many Nigerians over the high failure rate of the card reader used for accreditation, and sundry electoral fraud perpetrated by senior officials of the Commission in favor of candidates. Also, the usual fire brigade approach was adopted to tackle challenges that would have been foreseen.
But it is not all bad news about INEC under its immediate past chairman. Despite the shortcomings that characterized his tenure, he has set a benchmark for his successor.
The introduction of card reader in our election is Prof. Jega’s most defining moment. Although the device failed in many areas it, nevertheless, curbed rigging where it functioned particularly in the gubernatorial polls. If improved upon it will be the albatross of electoral fraud.
The serialized ballot papers introduced to curtail vote rigging and ballot box snatching deserves acclaim. Of course, the permanent voters’ card and the continuous voters’ registration are further changes attributable to Jega that aided credibility of the election in some states.
Prof. Jega is a humble, calm and patient personality. His maturity in handling Elder Orubebe, former Minister of Niger Delta Ministry in Jonathan’s administration, who brazenly challenged his neutrality in the election at the collation centre, attests to that. The Orubebe saga has made many Nigerians to perceive the ex- INEC chairman as ‘calmness personified’.
However, it will be unfair if President Jonathan is not acknowledged for creating the enabling environment for Jega and choosing a man he knew was above board. The choice of Jega is a credit to his administration. After all, if the right environment was not composed, the eminent professor could not have functioned effectively.
As the first INEC chairman to conduct an election that brought an opposition party to power, Prof. Jega has shown that Nigeria can navigate itself to safe harbor, if national interest is put above primordial considerations.
After five years in the saddle as INEC chairman, Prof. Jega has finally taken a bow from one of the hottest seats in Nigeria.

Arnold Alalibo