FG uncovers plot to derail elections •Forces plot to foist interim govt •Govt alerts top security chiefs •SSS, EFCC wade into botched NASS election •Jega under close watch over alleged alliance with politicians


Written by Taiwo Adisa and Segun Olatunji, Abuja
Tuesday, 05 April 2011
The Federal Government is said to have uncovered a grand design by certain forces working to truncate the April general election.

It was learnt in Abuja on Monday that some forces were working on perceived incongruities at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to derail the election process, thereby forcing the inauguration of what is described as Government of National Unity (GNU).

In line with the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, elections are to be held not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days to handover date.

Sources confirmed that there were more to what led to the postponement of the National Assembly election on Saturday than met the eye and that questions were being directed to appropriate quarters.

One source said that INEC appeared to have mismanaged its independence, soon after it was granted by the National Assembly by failing to adhere to timelines in the award of the contracts for the printing of sensitive items.

It was learnt that the commission might have fallen into the hands of some middlemen while awarding the contracts for sensitive materials to be used for the election.

While INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, has not been linked to the said plot, it was gathered that some forces were playing on some sentiments within the commission to lay the basis for failed elections.

Already, questions are being asked as to the identity of the owners of the companies that got the printing contract for ballot papers and why they have to print them in Germany.

For instance, a source questioned why the ballot papers for possible rerun of the presidential election would arrive in Nigeria when the original ballot papers have not arrived.

Other sources said that due to Jega’s penchant for doing things differently from the way INEC staff were used to, he apparently sidelined some experienced hands who could provide accurate logistic information.

It was gathered that the grand design was to ensure that a chain of reactions followed the postponement of the National Assembly elections, which would eventually ensure that subsequent elections were derailed.

Sources said that some of those behind the clandestine moves had thought that with the disappointment and embarrassment faced by President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday, the man would feel taken for a ride and descend on Jega heavily.

“The thinking behind the plot is that they believed that the president would feel very angry, especially as Jega did not give any inkling about challenges in all their discussions and his briefings to the Council of State. They thought that the president would demand his resignation such that the ripple effects would delay subsequent elections until they are statute barred,” a source said.

According to the source, the INEC chairman did not tell the president about the non-delivery of sensitive materials, when it was apparent that he could not receive them 24 hours before the election, thus allowing him to embark on a fruitless trip to Bayelsa State.

It was gathered that the president, though very angry with the situation, resolved to calmly investigate and get to the root of the matter.

Another scenario said to have been painted for possible disruption of the election is the move to lump the National Assembly election with the presidential election on April 9.

A source said that such a plan would have worked perfectly for those planning to derail the election, as they would only attempt to cause confusion in a number of states to discredit the whole election.

A source said that the move to derail the election was a final push by some forces who could not find accommodation in any of the leading candidates.

It was gathered that while some of the said forces believed that President Jonathan should not contest the election, they also could not find true accommodation in Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, who has refused to lay open his plans for them.

Controversy over Jega’s appointment
Concerns started mounting in the political circles at the weekend over what is being described as some unholy alliances between Professor Jega and some leaders of opposition parties, including a former head of state, and a former governor in the South-West.

Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune indicate that some persons with sympathy for the two leading opposition figures have been exercising a measure of control over and gaining insight into the workings of the electoral body in recent times.

For instance, a former governor who has sympathy for one of the opposition parties was said to have told his loyalists shortly after completing his accreditation on Saturday that the election would be postponed. That was before INEC eventually announced the postponement of the election at noon.

One main source of concern, however, is the revelation coming from a meeting said to have been held in Abuja on March 29 by leaders of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the party that is fielding General Buhari in the presidential race.

Reports of the meeting said to have been attended by eight CPC leaders, including the Director-General of the Buhari Presidential Campaign, Alhaji Sule Yahaya Hamman; the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Mustapha Salihu; the National Secretary, Mr Buba Galadima; Chief of Staff to General Buhari, Colonel Hammid Ali (retd); Alhaji Murtala Usman Aliyu; spokesman of Buhari Campaign, Yinka Odumakin and Mr. Joi Nuniye, indicated that some members of the CPC allegedly influenced the appointment of INEC chairman, Professor Jega.

Spokesman for the INEC chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, said in a telephone interview on Sunday that questions about his boss’s appointment should be directed to President Jonathan, who made the appointment. He denied any link between his boss and the leading opposition parties.

He said: “I think that question of who pushed his appointment should be directed to Mr President, who is the authority that made the appointment. There is no link between him (Jega) and the people you mentioned.”

In a report of the meeting, which was said to have taken place around 11.20 p.m. and 12.40 a.m, Hamman was quoted as saying that his group influenced the appointment of Jega, using a lady said to be close to President Jonathan and the Embassy of the United States of America (USA) in Abuja.

According to sources, Hamman was giving a report of his meeting with the leader of the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, when he told the meeting that the CPC was actually responsible for Jega’s appointment.

He was said to have told the meeting that his group pushed the nomination of Jega through the USA Embassy in Nigeria and that the Americans had as of that time agreed to support a Buhari presidency.

But the meeting expressed concern that Americans appeared to have shifted their loyalty to back the candidature of President Jonathan.

A source close to the meeting stated: “Hamman revealed that he intimated Ciroma that it was not President Jonathan that nominated Jega. This was done using a Nigerian female said to be close to Mr President and the USA Embassy in Nigeria after which three shortlisted persons were sent for confirmation.”

The source said that Hamman further told his colleagues on the Buhari campaign that the US Embassy further pushed Jega’s choice to beat the other two nominees, leading to the decision by the president to forward his name to the Senate.

Another critical point of the said meeting was the advice said to have been given to Buhari’s men by a former military ruler.

The military leader was said to have told the leaders of Buhari Campaign that they could end the search for a run-off presidential election by “taking the PDP unawares.”

But one of the participants at the said meeting, Mr Odumakin, told the Nigerian Tribune that the said meeting was a figment of imagination of some people. He said that the CPC held its rally in Kano that day and that only a few leaders of the campaign were in Abuja.

Odumakin said: “It is a fabrication of some minds. Imagine on March 29, we were in Kano. That was the day we held our rally in Kano. Hamman was in Abuja but there was no meeting like that.

“I ask them to let us face issues. We want to know why this country has more money in the last 12 years and the circle of poverty remains high. It is a stupid propaganda.”

Besides the alleged closeness to the Buhari group, a source said that a former governor of a South-West state also exercised some form of confidence about his links with Jega.

He is said to have strategically placed an academic around the INEC chairman, to enable him to get direction of things. The arrangement was alleged to have influenced the alliance between INEC and the newspaper owned by the former governor.

In another development, the last may not have been heard about the last Saturday’s botched National Assembly election as the Department of State Security Services (SSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) have waded into the matter for full investigation.

A reliable source at the INEC headquarters told the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, that already some top officials of the commission, including Professor Jega, as well as the officials of the contracting firm that failed to supply the sensitive materials, especially ballot papers and the result sheets on schedule needed for the conduct of the elections were being investigated.

According to the source, the investigation became necessary in order to confirm whether it was a deliberate attempt to sabotage the electoral process or that the failure was not intentional.

“As expected, I can tell you that the matter, I mean the botched National Assembly election, is now under the searchlight of the SSS and the EFCC for thorough investigation in order to establish the motive behind it, but I can't say whether the police and the ICPC were also involved in the investigation. I am sure of that of SSS and the EFCC,” our source stated.

The source revealed that the two agencies also wanted to know the contractual terms entered into by the INEC and the contractors involved, including the name(s) of the contractor(s), the amount of money involved, terms of payment, date of award, terms of delivery and a host of other vital information.

This is coming just as fear has reportedly gripped INEC officials, following the intervention of the security agencies.

It was learnt that the matter is now a centre of discussion by the commission staff some of who put the blames on the doorstep of Professor Jega over alleged delay in contracting out the supply of the materials, which they claimed was done late last month.

A top official of the commission confided in the Nigerian Tribune that the contracts for the supply of the ballot papers and that of the result sheets, otherwise known as form EC8A, were actually signed on March 9 and 25 with a foreign company.

As part of efforts to redress the lapses that led to the postponement of the NASS polls, Professor Jega held a marathon meeting with all the national commissioners and some top management staff of the commission on Monday on the way forward.

Though no official statement was issued at the press time 6:00 p.m., the Nigerian Tribune learnt that logistics and operational issues were tabled and discussed extensively at the meeting.

In a related development, Professor Jega will this morning meet with all the 36 states and FCT Residential Electoral Commissioners (RECs) over the same matter.

When contacted the CPS to Professor Jega, Mr Idowu, confirmed that the matter was already under investigation but pointed out that it was the commission in its own wisdom that reported the matter to the appropriate security agencies for thorough investigations.

Mr Idowu dismissed the speculations doing the rounds that the delay experienced in delivering the consignment on time was due to Professor Jega's interest in the award of the contract, saying that the contracts followed due process.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,my country!