Attahiru Jega Explained

Attahiru Jega
Office:4th Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission
Term Start:8 June 2010
Term End:31 June 2015
Predecessor:Maurice Iwu
Successor:Amina Zakari
Birth Name:Attahiru Muhammadu Jega
Birth Date:11 January 1957
Birth Place:Jega, Northern Region, British Nigeria (now in Kebbi State, Nigeria)
Nationality:Nigerian

Attahiru Muhammadu Jega (born 11 January 1957) is a Nigerian academic and former vice-chancellor of Bayero University, Kano.[1] On 8 June 2010, he was nominated by then President Goodluck Jonathan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), subject to Senate confirmation, as a replacement for Professor Maurice Iwu, who was sacked two months earlier.[2] Jega tenure came to an end on 30 June 2015, handing over his position to Amina Zakari, according to a directive by president Muhammadu Buhari.[3]

Early life and academic career

Jega was born on 11 January 1957 in Jega, Kebbi State.He attended Sabon Gari Town Primary School, Jega, between 1963 and 1969, and proceeded to Government Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi, and then was admitted into The Ahmadu Bello University Zaria's Bayero University College, Kano in 1974, graduating in 1979 with a Second Class Upper Division BSc degree in Political Science.[4] He worked as a teaching assistant at Bayero University, then won a fellowship at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois in the United States (1981–1984) where he earned a Ph.D.PhD in Political Sciences.He returned to the Political Science Department Bayero University in 1984 as a lecturer.[5]

Other appointments included visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos (March 1992 – March 1993), visiting Research Fellow, Department of Political Science, University of Stockholm, Sweden (1994), Deputy Vice-chancellor (Academic), Bayero University (1995–1996) and director, Centre for Democratic Research and Training, Bayero University (2000–2004).Jega was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University in 2005.[5] He is currently a member of the International Elections Advisory Council.

Political Activity

Jega is a former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and was an opponent of the Babangida military government in the early 1990s.[6] Politically leaning towards the left as ASUU President, he was closely associated with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and continued that connection throughout his career. On 29 April 2010, he was invited as a guest lecturer for the NLC May Day celebration where he presented a paper on 50 Years of Nationhood: Challenges of Good Democratic Governance, Credible Election and the Working Class.[7] He is widely seen as an astute intellectual with a strong sense of ethics and morality.[8]

Jega was appointed a member of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee, which submitted a report on 11th of December 2008 with recommendations that included establishing commissions to deal with electoral offences, constituency delimitation and political parties registration and regulation.[9] The committee also recommended proportional representation and that the INEC head should be appointed by the judiciary rather than the President.[10]

On the 28 of March 2015, under his leadership, elections were conducted in what Nigerians and the World see as free, fair and credible which declared the APC Presidential candidate General Muhammadu Buhari as winner defeating the Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.[11]

INEC nomination

Jega's nomination as INEC chairman was approved at a meeting of the National Council of State called by President Jonathan and attended by former heads of state Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ernest Shonekan, Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Shagari.The Senate President David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives Oladimeji Bankole, and most of the state Governors were also in attendance.Unanimous approval by the council of the nominee for this critical appointment avoided controversy about whether or not the President should appoint the chairman of the INEC.[12] Reactions to the announcement from a broad spectrum of political leaders and organisations were positive, although some voiced concern that it could be too late to implement real reforms before the 2011 elections.[13]

During the campaigning for the 2015 Nigerian general election, Attahiru Jega "faced fierce criticism from both the opposition and the ruling party."[14] Nonetheless, a 23 March 2015 article in Vanguard asserted that "most experts believe Jega will seek to declare an accurate result as quickly as possible, regardless of any political interference he may face."

"Project Rescue Nigeria"

In 2021, ahead of the 2023 Nigerian general elections, Jega teamed with some other political stakeholders and floated a political movement he called the Rescue Nigeria Project (RNP).[15] [16]

Honour

On 3 April 2023, the Kano State Executive Council appointed Jega Pro Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education (SRCOE), in Kumbotso, Kano State.[17]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2021-12-06. Attahiru Jega: The measure of excellence and integrity, By Toyin Falola. 2022-02-21. en-GB.
  2. Web site: Attahiru Jega a Radical at INEC . Daily Trust . Mohammed S. Shehu . 9 June 2010. 10 October 2010.
  3. News: Leadership Newspapers. Jega Bows Out, Hand Over to Amina Zakari. 1 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150702080951/http://leadership.ng/news/443983/pmb-appoints-amina-zakari-inec-chair-as-jega-bows-out. 2 July 2015. dead.
  4. News: Komolafe . Funmi . June 9, 2010 . Attahiru Jega, the new INEC Chairman (Profile) . Vanguard Newspaper.
  5. Web site: The Man Attahiru Jega . EWACHE AJEFU . 8 June 2010 . The Will . 10 October 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100612183009/http://thewillnigeria.com/politics/4791-The-Man-Attahiru-Jega.html . 12 June 2010 . dead .
  6. Web site: 2024-01-17 . Jega, former INEC Chairman, speaks on New appointment - Daily Trust . 2024-06-14 . en-US.
  7. Web site: Attahiru Jega, the New INEC Chairman . Vanguard . Funmi Komolafe . 9 June 2010. 10 October 2010.
  8. Web site: INEC Chairmanship – Jonathan Picks Jega . Leadership . Iyobosa Uwugiaren . 5 June 2010. 10 October 2010.
  9. News: Oyedeyi . Imoleayo . November 12, 2023 . ELECTION REFORMS: Revisiting the Uwais' committee report . Nigerian Tribune.
  10. News: August 16, 2019 . What is Jega up to? . The Nation.
  11. Web site: Electoral Reform – UWAIS Panel Recommends Independent Candidates . 12 December 2008. Daily Champion . Daniel Idonor . 10 June 2010.
  12. Web site: Attahiru Jega is New INEC Boss . Vanguard . Daniel Idonor . 9 June 2010. 10 October 2010.
  13. Web site: Cautious Optimism Trail Jega's Appointment . Vanguard . 10 June 2010. 10 October 2010.
  14. Web site: Nigeria: Five Key Figures to Watch in Nigeria Election. allAfrica.com: Vanguard. 2015-03-27. 2015-03-23.
  15. Web site: Reporters . Our . 2021-09-23 . Jega, Utomi groups, others team up against APC, PDP, unveil party Oct 1 . 2024-07-09 . Punch Newspapers . en-US.
  16. Web site: Olatunji . Kehinde . 2021-09-22 . Jega, Utomi, Duke, others float new political party . 2021-09-24 . The Guardian Nigeria News.
  17. Web site: Nigeria . Guardian . 2023-04-04 . Kano appoints Olubadan, Jega chancellor, pro-chancellor of education varsity . 2023-08-13 . The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News . en-US.