Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose has been one of the busiest governors during this campaign season. From controversial front page adverts to even more controversial utterances, Fayose is showing no signs of slowing down.
In the increasingly tense political atmosphere where the job security of the INEC Chairman, professor Attahiru Jega seems to be hanging in the balance, politicians from all sides of the divide have taken opposing views.
Despite the fact that President Goodluck Jonathan recently debunked claims that he wants to remove the INEC chairman, it is still a hot topic. Just yesterday, the House of Representatives debated the issue and urged the President not to remove the INEC Chairman.
Governor Ayo Fayose through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, has put in his own two cents.
“President Goodluck Jonathan can sack Jega if he wishes and if he does, heavens will not fall,” Fayose said, accusing the APC of having some kind of pact with the INEC Chairman.
“By turning themselves to advocates and defenders of the INEC chairman, the APC and its agents have shown that they have a deal with Jega to manipulate the elections,” he added.
“By his actions and utterances, Jega had already demonstrated his support of the APC.’’
“For instance, how can Jega explain the 80 per cent distribution of Permanent Voter Cards in Boko Haram-ravaged Borno and Yobe states while less than 40 per cent was distributed in Lagos as of February 7 that the election was postponed?
“It is on record that Prof. Maurice Iwu was asked to proceed on terminal leave two months to the end of his tenure? Is Jega not a beneficiary of Iwu’s removal?
“So, if Iwu was asked to go on terminal leave before the expiration of his tenure for Jega to assume office, what difference does it make if Jega too is asked to proceed on terminal leave before the expiration of his tenure?
“It is the President that can determine whether or not Jega will go on the mandatory three months’ terminal leave which should commence on March 8, and if the President decides that the INEC chairman should go on terminal leave, what can the APC loudmouths do?
“They boasted before the postponement of the elections that they would go on street protests, but did they do anything? They made noise when Justice Isa Ayo Salami was removed from office as President of the Court of Appeal, what did their noise amount to?
“Therefore, let me say it categorically that the noise being made by the APC and their agents will amount to nothing because if the President removes Jega today, heavens will not fall.”
He went on to say “that the deal will be frustrated if he (Jega) is asked to leave office.”
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