“Heavens Won’t Fall” if Jonathan dismisses Jega – Gov. Fayose

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has described outbursts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the possible removal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega as “mere comedy”, stating that the President Goodluck Jonathan could sack him if he wishes.


A statement released today by the Governor said the opposition party should stop acting as if Nigeria belongs to them. He accused the APC of having a secret alliance with Professor Jega to rig the forthcoming elections in their favour.

“By turning themselves to advocates and defenders of the INEC Chairman, the APC and its agents have shown that they have a deal with Jega to manipulate the elections and that deal will be frustrated if he is asked to leave office.”

Fayose stated that the removal of Jega and any other Federal Government appointee was a prerogative of the President and no one can question the action, provided laid down rules are followed. According to him,  the position expressed by the House of Representatives was that of the APC members in the House. He urged the APC lawmakers to rather “pay attention to the ill-health of their party’s presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari, whose whereabouts is now a mystery”.

Governor Fayose described Jega as partisan, noting that “by his actions and utterances, Jega had already demonstrated his bias in support of the APC. “For instance, how can Jega explain the 80 per cent distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in Boko Haram ravaged Borno and Yobe States while less than 40 per cent were distributed in Lagos as at February 7, that the election was postponed?”

He stressed that it was on record that Professor Maurice Iwu was asked to proceed on a terminal leave two months to the end of his tenure, stating that Jega was a beneficiary of Iwu’s removal.

“If Iwu was asked to go on terminal leave before the expiration of his tenure for Jega to assume office, what difference does it make if the same was requested of the present INEC chairman?,” he questioned.

Fayose noted that it is the duty of the President to determine whether or not Professor Jega would go on the mandatory 3 months terminal leave which ought to commence by March 8, stating that “if the President decides that the INEC chairman should go on terminal leave, what can the APC loudmouths do?

“Therefore, let me say it categorically that the noise being made by the APC and their agents will amount to nothing because if the President removes Jega today, heavens will not fall.”