Group To Jega: ‘We Are Not Fools; You Should By Now Tendering Unreserved Apology To Nigerians’

An anti corruption group, Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy (VATLAD), has taken a swipe on former chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega.

The group said Jega should not take Nigerians for fools or “insult our collective intelligence” with his utterances on National Assembly reordering of the sequence of 2019 general elections in the country.

The group spoke in a statement signed by its National President, Comrade (Engr) Igbini Odafe Emmanuel and made available to newsmen in Warri, Delta state.

VATLAD berated Jega for speaking out now when in 2015, he unconstitutionally deregistered some political parties acting on some unlawful laws by the National Assembly and the script of then ruling party, PDP.

Reports had quoted Prof Jega as questioning the constitutional powers of the National Assembly to reorder sequence of 2019 general elections.

According to VATLAD, the same Jega who happily accepted some very retrogressive and unconstitutional electoral laws made by the National Assembly prior to the 2015 general election, doesn’t have moral authority to speak now.

Advertisement

“He ought to be going round the Nation tendering unreserved apology to Nigerians now rather than further insulting our collective intelligence”, the group added.

According to the statement: “As then INEC boss, Prof. Jega happily accepted some very retrogressive and unconstitutional electoral laws made by this National Assembly when he felt they were convenient for him to actualise his own agenda and or those of his paymasters; why is he now rejecting the same laws being made by the same National Assembly in respect of conduct, supervision and organisation of free and fair elections in Nigeria?

“Was it not the same Prof. Jega who unconstitutionally deregistered Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and other political parties that PDP found then to be threat to it or uncompromising?

“Where did National Assembly derive the constitutional power to make law to deregister constitutionally recognised political parties as against the Freedom of Association constitutionally guaranteed to all Nigerians under section 40 of the 1999 Supreme Constitution of Nigeria, as amended? Yet Prof. Jega chose to obey and execute such legislative unlawful law.

“There are other unlawful laws made by the National Assembly that Prof. Jega willingly and knowingly agreed to execute.

“I challenge Prof. Jega to an open debate on this and other related matters.

Advertisement

“He has no moral authority to speak on this matter. He is insulting our collective intelligence doing so. Nigerians are not fools even though we choose to be peace-loving citizens.

“He ought to be going round the Nation tendering unreserved apology to Nigerians now rather than further insulting our collective intelligence”.

[Widget_Twitter id=”1″]