Why Jonathan must not sack Jega by Anule Emmanuel

Almost every Nigerian of voting age including members of the international community look forward to the country having credible, free and fair elections this year. The level of interest that stakeholders continue to express in the coming polls which will now hold on March 28 and April 14 respectively have no doubt generated a tense political atmosphere.

Indeed, since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, the 2015 elections appears to be one of the most keenly contested, especially at the presidential level. At this level, there are two major contenders President Goodluck Jonathan and Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari who are popular in their own right, with their supporters not being very sure which way the pendulum could swing. The competitive nature of the election has thrown up politics of bitterness and some level of suspicion from the two major parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressive Congress, raising concerns of attempts by either of the parties to outsmart the other, putting forward antics to win at the polls.

The recent extension of dates for the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission is one of such issues that has ignited quarrels between these two dominant parties. But for the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, the decision to shift the 2015 elections was a product of consultations and advice from security agencies whose role in guaranteeing the safety of lives and property before, during and after the polls as well as protecting election materials remains critical.

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