Date: 2015-03-18

Former President of Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi has warned against the removal of the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega.

He said sacking Jega as being speculated before the rescheduled March 28 elections could re-enact the June 12, 1993 crisis and draw back the progress recorded in the electoral process ahead of the general elections.

The pioneer ICPC Chairman spoke in Ilorin at a special public lecture titled, “Towards Peaceful Elections in 2015: The Roles of Stakeholders in Nigeria” organised by Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies of the University of Ilorin. It was delivered by Professor Danny McCain of Department of Religion and Philosophy, University of Jos.

Akanbi, who was chairman of the occasion, expressed delight over a statement credited to Jega that he would not go on any pre-retirement leave.  

He urged Nigerians to encourage him not to resign, describing him as an honest person who would never compromise no matter whose ox is gored.

He lamented that it is unfortunate that people try to bring down good people in Nigeria, advising that Nigeria should serve as a model for other African countries by doing things in line with international best practices.

“If he (Jega) resigns, that would be the beginning of violence because the Jega I know as President of ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) many years back with whom I have had rapport, he is an honest man, a hard-working gentleman and he is the best in this time.

“However good you are in Nigeria, when you hold high public office, people would try to run you down unless you are conscious. If you change him at this nick of time, then we are back to square one. In other words, we want to re-enact what happened in 1993 which led to the nullification of the election won by Chief MKO Abiola”, he warned.

Akanbi, who restated that the country cannot afford to disintegrate given its potentials and place in Africa, lamented that peace has eluded the country as a result of desperation by politicians.

He decried the report of attack on the convoy of wife of APC presidential candidate, Mrs. Aishatu Buhari, saying, “This ungentlemanly and unladylike action gives us some concerns”.

He urged Nigerians to vote wisely and shun ethnic, religious and tribal jingoism, saying there would be problem in the future of Nigerians voted on primordial sentiment.

“We must know that unless we vote wisely, unless we get our children and our families to vote wisely, unless we shun all this tribal jingoism and what have you, this country would have a problem and I pray that we don’t have problem.

Nigeria belongs to all of us. If Nigeria succeeds, we would succeed and Africa in particular is looking up to Nigeria for leadership. When you visit Ghana or you visit any of the African country, they would ask what is happening.

In some of the campaigns, they would tell you about Mandela (first black South African President), Lee Kuan Yew (Singaporean leader), Martin Luther King and what have you. Those people satisfied for their countries. They made no move to destroy their country. For me as an anti-corruption czar, I have read along about Lin Qua Yuan and I know that we don’t have any Lin Qua Yu in this country”

Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali urged Nigerians to vote peacefully, saying, “Vote. Don’t fight and we should make it a cardinal point and an abiding philosophy that we shall always maintain peace and avoid violence”.

Director of the Centre, Dr. Mahfouz Adedimeji said, “Peace is everyone’s business, let us think peace, let us talk peace, let us work for peace because peace is possible”.