APC wanted Jega sacked last year, says Fayose

Ayo Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says
leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
openly called for the sack of Attahiru Jega,
chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), last year.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Fayose
said APC needed to explain to Nigerians what
changed between November last year and now
because of the party’s demand that Jega
should not be asked to go on terminal leave.
He said: “Nigerians must ask Buhari, Tinubu
and other APC leaders, who led street protest
against Jega, carrying placards with
inscriptions such as ‘INEC not fit to conduct
2015 election’, ‘2015: No hope with Jega,’
what has changed about Jega’s credibility.
“Has the same Jega that they said cannot
conduct the 2015 elections ceased from being a
bad person? APC lost the Anambra election and
took to the streets in Abuja, calling for Jega’s
head. Is the INEC boss now doing their
biddings because the APC will only stand
against any individual or organisation that
refused to be corrupted?
“No doubt, the hullaballoo of the APC and its
agents concerning Jega’s position is suspect.”
Fayose also said his predecessor, Kayode
Fayemi, does not have the moral right to
oppose any move to remove Jega.
He said: “It is laughable that the same Fayemi
who, as Ekiti State governor sacked the Vice
Chancellor and two Deputy Vice Chancellors of
the State University, as well as Chairmen and
members of statutory commissions is the one
sermonising about legality or otherwise of
asking Jega to proceed on terminal leave.
“Fayemi, as governor sacked democratically
elected Local Council chairmen and
councillors… Chief Adeleye Awolumate [died] in
the process of enforcing his illegal action. He
sacked the Ekiti State University Vice
Chancellor, Prof Dipo Kolawole via radio
announcement, and dissolved statutory boards
and commissions. Even when Courts ruled that
his actions were illegal and unconstitutional, he
refused to reinstate them.
“Isn’t it shameful and hypocritical that the
same Fayemi is the one saying his party was
fighting against the move to remove Jega
because it amounted to breach of the law?”
The statement was signed by Fayose’s special
assistant on public communications and new
media, Lere Olayinka.