Jega To Tinubu – It’s ‘Not Too Late’ To Review RECs’ Appointments

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently review the recent appointments of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Commission to address concerns over their glaring partisanship.

Professor Jega, who supervised both the 2011 and 2015 general elections, said the President has a duty to review the appointments owing to partisan concerns, adding; “I think there is no doubt that if the President were listening, my advice would be to immediately review the appointment of the Resident Electoral Commissioners that was passed by the Senate recently”.

Speaking on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today, Jega said; “It’s very, very important because clearly, not only does it send a wrong signal about the government’s intention to improve the integrity of elections, it also suggests, you know, that there is the indifference with regards to protecting the independence and the impartiality of the election management body.”

He said the hue and cry trailing the RECs’ nomination and confirmation indicates that Tinubu may not have been properly furnished with necessary details of each nominee, adding; “I would want to believe that Mr President was either misinformed or is not really furnished with all the necessary details with regards to this appointments.

“So, that is the first recommendation: I will review those appointments. It’s not too late if it is established that the people who were appointed were very partisan or registered members of political parties contrary to the legal provisions. The right thing should be done and corrections should be made.”

Also, noting that the Senate should have been more circumspect in confirming the RECs’ appointment given the mounting accusations of partisanship, the Nigerian academic and former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, said the lawmakers, going forward have to play a more critical role in the appointment of INEC top shots.

He further said; “Secondly, moving into the future, the Senate itself needs to be up and doing. The normal thing when these kinds of recommendations are made is to send it to the committee which would have the time to do a thorough review of the details of all the people that are appointed before it comes to plenary, you know.

“But in this particular case, from everything we have heard or read, it appears that the matter did not go to committee. It just went to the floor of the Senate and they rushed the approval.”

Jega’s comments came about one month after the Senate confirmation of 10 RECs nominated by President Tinubu in circumstances that many have criticised as being tainted with glaring partisan politics.