INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega Takes Full Responsibility For Election Postponement

[TGD]

THE INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega says he takes full responsibility for the postponement of the National Assembly election.

According to him: "I take full responsibility for what has happened because it was a major lapse that shouldn't have occurred at all, but there is nothing anybody can do.

"It is unfortunate that it has happened. Under normal circumstance, it should not have happened, but what can we do now that it has happened? Man proposes, God disposes.

"But we have done our best under the circumstances, but that does not mean we are excusing ourselves from the blame or responsibility; we take the blame and full responsibility that goes with the job."

This was at a crowded press conference at the Media Centre of the commission, while announcing a two-day postponement of the election nationwide.

The shift in the polls was as result of the late arrival of the result sheets of the senatorial election in most of the states into the country, before the commencement of the elections.           

Indeed, as Jega admitted, all the materials for the elections were supposed to have arrived in the country on Thursday, going by the agreement with the vendors, which he did not name.

But as he said: "When the vendor did not deliver the materials on Thursday, as he promised, instead, eh started giving excuses, we thought that being a gentleman that he is, the materials should be in the country by early Friday morning.             

"But with the passage of the time, they did not arrive until 9am today (yesterday) and even, about the 10 Air Force jets that were on standby to help us convey the materials to the respective states could not do anything."

Indications that all might not be well with the poll arrangement were apparent early in the morning in Abuja, where voters trooped out in their hundreds, in compliance with the rules of pre-voting accreditation, only for them to meet empty spaces devoid of arrival of electoral officers.

The Guardian encountered some of the members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), who were conveying their materials to one of the polling centres, but whose vehicles broke down.                 

In some areas in the city centre, many people could be seen gathered without the presence of electoral officers and where they had come, without the materials.

During a visit to the FCT INEC Secretariat in Area 10 at 8am, when accreditation of voters ought to have commenced, it was discovered that the officials were still struggling to send some important electoral materials scheduled for Kwali Area Council, more than a two-hour drive from the Abuja Municipal.

While the National Headquarters of the commission was trying to cover up the apparent inadequacy, reports started filtering in that similar challenges were being experienced in some states, such as Niger, Kwara, Delta, Cross River and the nearby Nasarawa State.           

Officials initially tried to downplay the effect of the apparent national shortages of electoral materials, but with the announcement by the FCT INEC of the postponement of the polls, Jega was now forced to own up and address the media on the situation.

While addressing the issue, Jega recalled that he had always promised to be truthful to Nigerians and that in carrying out its duty; the INEC under him would be sincere and truthful to Nigerians.

"I have always said that this INEC will be upfront with Nigerians, telling them exactly how things are, sharing both our successes and our difficulties with you. This is one such occasion. Indeed, it is an emergency," he said.       

Jega said that INEC could have proceeded with the elections in a few states of the country where all the materials were available, such as Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Delta, Zamfara and Enugu, among others.

"But in order to maintain the integrity of the elections and retain effective overall control of the process, the commission has taken the very difficult, but necessary decision to postpone the National Assembly elections to Monday, April 4, 2011," said.

He appealed to all Nigerians "for their understanding in this very difficult situation. We appreciate, as a commission, the profound sacrifice that Nigerians have all made, not just in turning out today (yesterday), but also throughout this election period."         

"We are greatly encouraged by you and our appeal is that you remain steadfast in this last lap of this electoral process in the interest of all Nigerians and in the course of democracy," he said.

Jega said the commission would immediately initiate contacts with stakeholders, to explain the situation, while appealing for their support in explaining the situation to their members and supporters.

However, he argued that what was worth doing was worth doing very well, saying while he deeply regretted the situation and offered apologies to all Nigerians for the hardship, "which we have created," he re-iterate that "we are fully committed to conducting free, fair and credible elections for Nigerians."

"The decision the commission has taken is weighty, indeed, but it is also a very important step in further ensuring credibility of the 2011 elections," he said.

Answering questions later, Jega confirmed that the decision to shift the polls had been communicated to all the resident electoral commissioners (REC) in all the states of the federation and Abuja before the formal announcement was made, adding that there was nowhere in the country where voting had commenced before the decision to stop the process.   

On how many states were affected by the late arrival of the materials, the INEC boss said virtually all the states were affected, except a few states he named.

He confirmed that even in some of the states where the materials were delivered, there were a few areas that experienced the late supply of the materials.

Giving the reason for the development, Jega said it came about as a result of the decision of the commission to make the vendors deliver the materials to the states, so as to avoid a situation whereby one state would get the materials and others would not have, "and that was why a substantial number of states were affected by the development," he said.               

On if the development was not an indication of the country's inability to conduct free, fair and credible elections, Jega said it was far from the truth.

"What we are doing now is, in spite of the difficulties of the challenges and the weighty nature of the decision, I still believe that if we want free, fair and credible elections, then there are certain things that are acceptable. That is why we could not proceed if we wanted them to be free, fair and credible," he said.               

"So in essence, what we are doing is to ensure the commitment to free, fair and credible elections that actually satisfy that aspiration.           

"That is why we announced a shift because we cannot bury our heads and say that there are no problems or ask the people to proceed with the electoral process when we know that the result sheets will not be properly tabulated or properly printed in secure sheets, it is regrettable indeed," he added.         



Source: Jega Takes Full Responsibility