According to reports, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega might be asked to proceed on terminal leave next week.
The disclosure was made by Senators belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus during a press conference on Thursday, February 26, The Cable reports.
Senator George Akume, who represents Benue West, reportedly stated that the Head of Service would soon instruct Jega to proceed on terminal leave.
“We have received information that next week Jega will be served a letter from the head of service directing him to proceed on terminal leave. We wonder why the government wants to tamper with the current arrangement of INEC,” Akume said.
“Only dishonest politicians fear Jega as chairman of INEC,” Akume added.
The APC Senators also condemned the attempts to remove Jega describing any such plan as a “subversion of the system”.
They also argued that the Civil Service Rules which provide for terminal leave do not apply to the INEC Chairman who is not a civil servant but a political appointee.
“We want elections that are credible. We oppose Jega’s removal by the back door. On a daily basis, Jega is being attacked. We condemn what the government wants to do. This is the road to Golgotha. I wonder why they want to destroy this country,” Akume said.
