Why I Want Jega to Resign, by Uwazurike, MASSOB Leader

06 Mar 2015 Leader of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike -Denies being sponsored Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu Leader of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, said on Thursday that his call for the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, from office was predicated on the need for the commission to deliver credible election to Nigerians. He dismissed insinuations in some quarters that he was being sponsored by some highly placed government officials to make such calls, noting that anybody who wishes Nigeria well must join in the call. Uwazurike had during a press conference in Owerri said Prof Jega cannot conduct a pre-determined election in the southern part of the country. He said aside the ‘obvious display of bias’, the INEC chairman ought to proceed on a three-months pre-retirement leave as was done by his predecessors, Dr Abel Guobadia and Prof Maurice Iwu, during their time. He said the three geo-political zones of the South-east, south-south and south-west would not participate in any election conducted by Professor Jega, as the people of the area have already lost confidence in the ability of the INEC chairman to conduct credible elections. “It is amasing that one of the political parties is strongly opposed to the removal of Jega. It is also amasing that Jega refused to step aside even when there are evidences pointing to his bias. What is disturbing is indeed the catastrophe his agenda may provoke. This catastrophe could be avoided. “In as much as many believe that Jega has compromised, the only option left for him is to quit. He is not the only person that can conduct elections in Nigeria. Any national commissioner of the INEC can do so.” “My worry is that the said election if conducted by Jega will lack credibility and will unavoidably engulf the nation in serious crisis. In such crisis as usual, the safety of lives and property of Ndigbo in the North and other parts of Nigeria will be targets for destruction. “From the outset, Jega was not prepared for free and fair elections. He compromised that by his infamous 30,000 polling units, where he allotted more than 2/3 of the polling units to the North. Despite public outcry and the senate also passing a resolution stating that the polling units should not be used. Still Jega went ahead and converted the polling units to voting centres in the North,” he alleged. He also alleged that the preparations for the conduct of the elections by Jega had been characterised by falsehood, recalling that a week before the postponement of the elections, he claimed he was ready conduct the elections. “It is no longer news that Jega was able to distribute more than 90 per cent of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in the North including the war torn areas of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, but failed to distribute up to 50 per cent in the South, prior to the postponement of the elections. “As at the day Jega announced the postponement of the elections, he was yet to employ the seven hundred thousand ad-hoc staff, yet he claimed he was ready to conduct the elections,” he said. On how he will stop the southerners from participating in the elections, the MASSOB boss said he would employ the tactics used during the last national census when his group successfully boycotted the exercise. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/why-i-want-jega-to-resign-by-uwazurike-massob-leader/203411/