The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, has said he will not accept a tenure renewal even if he is offered.
The tenure of Mr. Jega, appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 to replace the then chief of Nigeria’s electoral management body, Maurice Iwu, will expire in June this year.
Speaking in an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation Mr. Jega said having successfully accomplished the task assigned to him, another person should be given the opportunity to contribute his own quota.
Mr. Jega, a professor of political science, acknowledged that the task of leading INEC was a difficult one adding that he was not interested in tenure renewal and would not accept an offer of extension.
“I am grateful to God. I was asked to come and contribute my own quota to the national development and I have done my bit to the best of my ability,” he said.
“Whatever assignment one will do for five years – just like this difficult one — to me if one is able to successfully accomplish the task, someone else should be given the opportunity. Because for me I am not interested and if I am requested to serve again, I will not do it, by God’s grace.”
He stated that the introduction of the card reader device in the 2015 general elections had significantly helped to make the presidential election transparent and credible.
He, however, added that there were few challenges that would be looked into in the forthcoming governorship/state assembly elections, including late coming attitude of electoral officials.
Commenting on the allegations of bias against him by the Peoples Democratic Party’s chieftain, Godsday Orubebe, at the National Collation Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, Mr. Jega said he was unperturbed because the allegations were false.
“I maintained my calmness because I knew all the allegations were false. There is nothing that frightens me or disturbs me because, of all our actions, we have explanations for them,” he said.
