Former President of Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami and erstwhile President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba, are being considered to fill the position of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission to be vacated by Prof. Attahiru Jega on June 28, 2015. Though Jega is eligible for reappointment but the former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities is said to have declined interest in serving another term.
About nine national commissioners, whose tenure expires this month, will also go with him. INEC has a total of 12 national commissioners. Sunday Telegraph gathered that some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress are rooting for Salami because they see his premature retirement by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan as vindictive. “Some APC leaders believe that if Jega is not willing to go for a second term, Salami should be considered. You know he was accused of all sorts of things by PDP because they believe he was working for us. But this is not true.
“The problem we have is how to convince the President because Nigerians will read meanings into it. What was done to Salami was not good. The allegations against him cannot be proved,” a member of the party said.
The prerogative of appointing the Chairman of INEC rests with the President. Decree No 17 of 1998 that established the commission confers on the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces the right to appoint the Chairman and INEC national commissioners. Agbakoba is being considered because of his nonpartisan stand. He is seen as incorruptible and untainted.
A source knowledgeable about the matter told our correspondent that if Jega’s achievements are to be sustained, the President should go for a non-partisan and independent minded person like Agbakoba.
The former NBA president was among those rumoured as the likely chairman of INEC before Jega’s appointment in 2010. Another school of thought, however, believes the President could appoint one of the national commissioners as Jega’s successor. Out of the 12 national commissioners, only Dr. Ishmael Igbani from Rivers State has served two terms in office.
When Jonathan removed Prof. Maurice Iwu was as INEC boss in 2010, an INEC national commissioner, Prince Solomon Soyebi, became acting chairman before Jega was appointed. Section 8(3) of the decree states that “during the Chairman’s absence on leave or if the Chairman is otherwise not available or is unable to perform his functions, the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forced may appoint any member of the commission to act as Chairman for any specified period.”
The three national commissioners who will outlive Jega’s tenure are Chief Chris Iyimoga, Ambassador Lawrence Nwuruku and Prof. Akinola Salau. Iyimoga, who is INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, will leave office in September while Nwuruku and Salau have about three and four years respectively. The President might pick any of these three in acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman of the commission.
Culled from New Telegraph
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