JEGA CONFESSION: JONATHAN MEANT WELL FOR NIGERIA DEMOCRACY

 Attahiru Jega, Former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has disclosed during an interview with Jamie Hitchen, a policy researcher at Africa research institute, a non profitable group that former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan did not interfere with the works of the Commission during his tenure.

He said: “Goodluck Jonathan administration that runs  from 2010 to 2015, never gave any reason to suspect that there was a deliberate and wilful attempt to emasculate the funding of INEC.

“For this they should be applauded. No situation arose where we had to go cap-in-hand to the executive looking for funding and I must add that when supplementary funding was needed it was nearly always forthcoming.
“For most of the time during our tenure, President Jonathan tried not to personally interfere with the Commission’s work. Only in the run-up to the 2015 election did his government and ruling political party seek to interfere with the decision of INEC to use electronic card readers.
“We were able to remind them that they had supported the idea and funded it. Overall I think that President Jonathan meant well for democracy in our country, a view strengthened by the gracious way he conceded electoral defeat in 2015.”

In Nigeria a good person is remembered when you are no more in public service.

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