INEC Chairmanship: Agbakoba, Jega, Wiiliams, Ibrahim Emerge Favourites

PHOTO: INEC CHAIRMAN MAURICE IWU WHO IS ACCUSED OF CONDUCTING FLAWED ELECTIONS BY MANY NIGERIANS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

San Francisco March 21, (THEWILL) – In his push to ensure credible general elections in 2011, Nigerian Acting President Goodluck Jonathan is leaning towards appointing a replacement for current Independent National Electoral Commission chairman Maurice Iwu from the civil society. Iwu’s tenure expires in June and Aso Rock is not keen on having him conduct the general elections because of the various flawed polls conducted by the body under Iwu’s supervision in the past.

Multiple presidency sources over the weekend said Olisa Agbakoba, SAN; Professor Attahiru Jega; retired Major General Ishola Williams and Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim are being considered for the top job at the electoral commission.

Coincidentally, Jega, Ibrahim and Agbakoba are members of the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Committee inaugurated in 2007 by President Umaru Yar’Adua to make recommendations on how to overhaul the country’s electoral system.

Agbakoba, a human rights lawyer, was a former chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA and currently runs the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO which he founded during the era of military dictatorships in the country.

Professor Jega was a former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, who made a mark when he led the union to various industrial actions during the General Ibrahim Babangida military dictatorship to press for better funding for lecturers and universities. He is currently the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano.

General Williams, the very respected retired military officer who is renowned for his zero tolerance for corruption is president of Transparency Nigeria, an affiliate of Transparency International, the anti-corruption watchdog.

Ibrahim is the director of Abuja based NGO, Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, and also known for his work in the advancement of democracy and freedom.

Jonathan who is already barred from contesting in the election because of a power sharing arrangement in his party (PDP) between the north and south is expected to name a replacement for Iwu early so that he can concentrate on other issues especially corruption and frequent power blackouts currently plaguing the OPEC member state.