“I appointed the INEC chairman and all the resident electoral commissioners but I also have the constitutional powers to remove butwill not do so. I have not told anyone, I intend to remove Jega”, he stated.
The president also assured Nigerians that he was ready to leave office on May 29 this year if he loses the presidential contest to the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking at a presidential media chat aired live on national television and radio yesterday evening, Jonathan who restated his earlier stance that the May 29 hand over date remained sacrosanct said the country will not go to war if he or anybody does not win the 2015 polls.
Noting that if he did not believe in abilities of Jega, he would not have appointed him, the president said: “I want all Nigerians to know that INEC will conduct elections and a government will be inaugurated on May 29”.
He denied being part of the decision to shift the polls.
“I was not consulted and I don’t want to be consulted. In 2011, INEC did not consult me. If they had informed me, I wouldn’t have wasted my time and government resources. For every trip I make, I know what federal government paid. For me to move to my village, my advance team will go there with all this road team and so on. So there is no way I would have gone to the village”, he added.
Stressing that he never intended to sack the INEC boss, the president said, “It is Mr. President that appoints every commissioner in INEC. The national commissioners and the RECs are my appointees.
“So, if I feel that Jega is not good enough for obvious reasons, there are provisions in the constitution which gives the person who appoints the power remove, but I have not told anybody that I am going to remove Jega. So, you see; I think some of these things are creation by people from one interest or the other. They are just causing confusion. The whole thing about the rescheduling of the elections, there are a lot of people who are using that opportunity to misinform Nigerians and create this confusion.
Election outcome won’t lead to war
On the threat by ex- Niger Delta militants, Asari Dokubo, Tompolo and others, that the country would go to war if he loses, he insisted that the country will not go to war.
He said, “These statements come from both sides, but I have told you that these are statements that are not healthy. You as journalists should know more than me. But we will make sure that things are done in a way that nobody goes to war. Nobody will go to war.
“Nigeria will remain Nigeria. And you the journalists have a role to play.
“We have a country. We must protect this country. We can’t destroy this country and we cannot encourage anybody who wants to destroy the country.”
“Statements by ex-militants and others are random statements and nobody should take them seriously. We must protect this country. Our supporters must also be responsible. We shall ensure that nobody goes to war.”
He blamed aides and associates of key political actors for the hate speeches and political violence, adding that he would hand over power to whosoever wins the elections.
“If the elections are conducted and I lose, the new president will be sworn in. If I lose the election, I will relinquish power. I never said I would hold on to power as claimed on social media.
“I reassure Nigerians that elections will be conducted and a government inaugurated on May 29. Do not be disturbed by stories that are not real: stories that the president will send INEC chairman on terminal leave; statements that I will not hand over if I lose are insinuations that are not true,” the president stated.
Leadership
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