INEC Shake-Up: Jega Denies Apologising To Aggrieved Directors

ProfAttahiru-JegaThe Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has denied media reports that the series of meetings held during the week with the 36 state Resident Electoral Commissioners and some new directors was to calm frayed nerves.

It would be recalled that the commission had recently embarked on areorganization and restructuring exercise that saw the directorates reduced to nine from 26; most of the departments were affected with the directors raising allegations of marginalization.

But the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, denied that the meeting was convened to pacify aggrieved directors.

He said, “Jega did not call a meeting to explain those decisions because those decisions have been taken seven months ago and it wasn’t taken by Jega but by the commission.

“The meeting that was held is a quarterly meeting. The commission has decided to be having a quarterly meeting with political parties. It was a routine meeting and during any routine meeting, we look at the programme.

“The RECs are the foot soldiers of INEC in the states and they need to know the programmes of the commission and hold discussions.

“There was no meeting called to apologise for any decision. It was a routine meeting with RECs and for your information, there will be another one in three months’ time, there will be another one in six months’ time and there will be another one in nine months time.”