Nigeria 2015 Polls: 4 political parties want Jega fired over card readers

Four Nigerian political parties have threatened to pull out of the March 28 and April 11 elections if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, refuses to suspend the use of card readers.

The parties also called on the chairman of INEC, Attahiru Jega, to proceed on terminal leave, accusing him of exhibiting unprofessionalism and poor judgement.

“Since Prof Attahiru Jega has shown lack of professionalism and good judgment in his actions so far in the conduct of the 2015 elections and since he has about three months to the end of his tenure as INEC Chairman, we the stakeholders urge him to quietly consider proceeding on terminal leave so that a more competent person can handle the current election process,” the parties said at a press conference Wednesday.

The parties warned that the use of card readers, which INEC says will help check voting fraud, will negatively affect the credibility of the elections.

A statement containing the demands was signed by the national chairman of MEGA Progressive Peoples Party, Dare Falade; the presidential candidate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria, Kelvin Alagoa; and the presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, Rafiu Salau.

But the national chairman of Advanced Congress of Democrats, ACD, Onwubuya Breakforth, who spoke on behalf of the group, claimed that the three parties, alongside his ACD, acted as representatives of 15 political parties.

He later told PREMIUM TIMES the remaining 11 parties had declined to immediately disclose their identities for political reasons, but assured that the parties will soon identify themselves.

...PremiumTimes