Buhari mocks Orubube; Says won’t forget altercation between ex-minister, Jega

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, mocked the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsay Orubebe and the former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega over the 2015 Presidential election results.


President Buhari specifically said the organisers of the 2018 Democracy Day lecture which had Prof. Jega as the guest lecturer should have invited the former minister at the event.

He said he would not forget in a hurry the exchange of words between Orubebe and the former INEC boss because of the outcome of the result of the Presidential election.

Recall that Orubebe had, at the heat of tension generated by the outcome of the Presidential election in his rejection of the result said, “I will not take it.”

But making his remarks at the International National Contre Abuja, the venue for the Democracy Day lecture with the team, “Peace building and good governance for sustainable development” President Buhari also recollected the efforts of the then government of the United States, Barack Obama towards ensuring that the 2015 elections held.

The President said, “Here I must digress to raise an observation by the programme organisers because I did not see Mr Orubebe who ought to have come and listen to professor Jega deliver his lecture, this is a major observation.

“That instance, for those of us who were lucky that there was light and we had the television to see the confrontation between Orubebe and prof Jega, it will remain a life impression to many of us.

“The other one is the prof Jega briefing to the government, the opposition and the military before the date of the election was finally agreed on.

“Prof Jega, as a professor, it was not surprising, briefed us of his activities between 2011 and 2015, the recruitment, equipping and training of INEC officials, that gave those of us who are lucky to get the report, the courage that nothing outside the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would be accepted by the opposition.

“So, the question of an interim administration or postponing election for more than 90 days shouldn’t be on the table and I thank personally the United States government then under President Obama by sending John Kerry to read the riot act to the government and to us the opposition then that nothing other than a free and fair election will be acceptable.”