SAN FRANCISCO, February 11, (THEWILL) –President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed reports in the media quoting anonymous top presidential aides saying that the federal government will ask the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, to proceed on terminal leave with just few weeks to the general elections.
President Jonathan who spoke during a special edition of the presidential media chat with select journalists at the presidential villa on Wednesday night, also insisted that the general elections scheduled for March 28, 2015 and April 11, 2015, will hold as scheduled with Jega in charge of the process.
“I never told anybody that I wanted to remove Jega… it is all garbage talk…” Jonathan said while answering a question on whether Jega, whose tenure expires in June this year, would be replaced before the elections as suggested in the reports.
The president also refuted allegations by the opposition and some political analysts that he alongside some leaders in his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, engineered the postponement of the elections fearing defeat if the elections had held on February 14, 2015 as previously scheduled.
“I was not consulted and I don’t want to be consulted,” Jonathan said, insisting that INEC made an independent call allowed by the constitution, after reviewing security reports from security agencies.
While answering questions during the televised media chat on military operations against the Boko Haram as well as rescuing the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, President Jonathan said the successful launch of the multi-regional military operation against the Boko Haram would hopefully crush the terrorist group within weeks and rescue the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted from their dormitory over 6 months ago.
Jonathan is up against main challenger, General Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the main opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), in the March 28, 2015 election that many analysts say is too close to call.
