Osun Speaker Warns Against Subverting Forthcoming Elections

The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam, has warned against plot to subvert the forthcoming general elections.
He said any attempt to remove the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, could derail the nation’s democracy.
According to a statement by his media aide, Goke Butika, the body language of President Goodluck Jonathan is suggesting that he is moving toward removing Jega before the Presidential election.
Salaam stressed that Nigeria should not be dragged into needless crisis over the position of INEC chairman, saying that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should spare Prof. Jega from its campaign of calumny.
He condemned the way some politicians were waging media war against the leadership of the INEC ever since Jega has insisted on using the Permanent Voter’s card (PVC) and card reader to conduct the rescheduled polls.
He said their comments were disgusting, ridiculous and uncalled for, and at best suggesting that there was plot to subvert the elections.
He said: “We should all strive to consolidate this 16 years old democracy as a people, and no section of the people should see power as their exclusive right, but right of those who could obtain the mandate of the people through elections. Thus, it is needless to indulge more on the campaign of calumny.”
The Speaker, therefore, implored Jonathan to discard the idea of removing Jega if the card was on the clandestine table, noting that “the consequence of changing the game when the game is almost at extra time would vitiate the credibility of not only the elections, but also democratic credentials of this country.
THE NATION