Jega cancels meeting with RECs over card-reader testing

The Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has shifted his meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners to Wednesday, March 11.

The meeting, which was initially scheduled to take place on Wednesday (yesterday), was to enable the commissioners to give the chairman feedback on the collection of the Permanent Voter Cards and other preparations for election.

It was gathered that on March 12, INEC would finalise preparations for the March 28 and April 11 general elections.

It was learnt that the meeting was shifted to enable RECs to give Jega results of card-readers’ testing on Saturday.

There were fears at INEC on Monday that some pro-government RECs might pass a vote of no confidence on INEC chairman at meeting, initially scheduled for Wednesday. The vote of no vote confidence, it was gathered, was planned to be a prelude to Jega’s removal by the Federal Government.

It was, however, learnt that the said pro-government commissioners might have had a change of mind because of the growing opposition to the alleged plan to remove Jega.

But investigations revealed that Jega’s supporters were not letting down their guards despite the alleged change of mind of the pro-government RECs.

It was learnt they had decided to wait till the end of the election before they could believe President Goodluck Jonathan, who had said that he would not remove Jega.

...Punch