The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has disclosed that former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Jega gave Nigeria its best election since the disputed June 12, 1993, poll.
Shehu made the remark while commending INEC Chairman, Joash
Amupitan, over the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
In a statement he signed, the former presidential spokesman
wondered why Amupitan has been silent despite INEC’s success in the
just-concluded governorship election.
In a statement he tagged, “Where is Professor Amupitan?”,
Shehu said: “I don’t know him, and we never met. I have no reason to wish to
meet him, either. When they nominated him as the Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission, INEC, the nation received the shocking
disclosure of his 2020 legal brief to the international community in which he
claimed that the violence in the country was a Muslim pogrom against
Christians.
“The violence affected and still affects followers of all
religions and speakers of every language.
“For this reason, I, among many others, felt bad about the
assertion he made and assumed that he was not a good choice for that office.
This country’s elections had incrementally got better with each new leadership.
“Professor Jega gave the nation its best election since the
disputed June 12, 1993, poll that produced Chief MKO Abiola, now recognised as
a duly elected president who did not, however, take office.
“Professor Mahmood Yakubu did the impossible by rallying
civil society, CSOs, and local and foreign observers to approve all his
elections.
“Not one election under him was ever rejected by any serious
observer or CSO. Now, look at what has just happened in Osun State. Under
Amupitan’s leadership, the country has attained a transparent electoral
process.
“Everyone – civil society, the EU, local and foreign
observers – are commending this standout performance, praising the exceptional
skill and determination to improve the process as manifested by INEC’s seamless
uploading of the governorship election results to its IReV.
“With all the loud acclaim that followed, however, I have
been asking myself, where is the captain of the ship, Professor Amupitan?
“He hasn’t picked up the microphone, 48 hours hence, or
appeared before the TV cameras to proudly show off the success. Where is he?
“We are a country of wilful behaviour, chest-beating public
officials who are proudly and aggressively proclaiming success without
achieving half of what we are talking about here. Where is he?
“We are not used to seeing this kind of humility, patience,
and restraint. Isn’t it fair that the man should come out of his shell and
dance to the drums in celebration?”
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