The House of Representatives in Nigeria has warned against the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, by any individual or institutions.
The motion was sponsored by Ali Ahmad, a lawmaker from Kwara State.
There were oppositions to the motion, but they were not enough to pull the needed vote to stop the motion.
Submitting the motion, Mr Ahmed said: “Any alteration to the status quo arrangement in whatever form at this crucial stage will invariably lead to further postponement of the date elections. Further concerned that such threats to tamper with the status quo may take several forms, such as illegal removal of the INEC Chairman”.
But the Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Mr Leo Ogor, opposed the motion, saying that the motion was totally speculative, as the lawmaker was not precise about what was happening or who was planning the removal.
He said that nobody was interested in removing Professor Jega.
Mr Ogor’s opinion was, however, overruled by the Speaker of the House, Mr Aminu Tambuwal, before the motion was put up for vote.
A larger number of the House supported the motion moved by Mr Ahmed, which sought to stop any planned removal of the chairman of the electoral body and it was adopted.
The issue was also echoed by the speaker when he received members of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room at the National Assembly.
Mr Tambuwal rejected the idea of an interim government in Nigeria and the suggestions that the INEC chairman should proceed on terminal leave.
Several members of the opposition All Progressives Congress have alleged that there were plans by the executive to ask the chairman of the electoral body to proceed on terminal leave before the election.
But during a Presidential Media Chat in February, President Goodluck Jonathan said there were no plans to sack the chairman of INEC, saying “the rumours belonged to the garbage world”.
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