Professor Attahiru Jega\u2019s tenure as the chairman of the Independent\u00a0National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come to an end.<\/p>\n
The former INEC boss, who took over from Professor Maurice Iwu, assumed\u00a0office on June 8, 2010 during the former President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s\u00a0administration.<\/p>\n
Professor Jega officially handed over leadership to the commission\u2019s\u00a0National Commissioner, Ambassador Mohammad Wali, on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Under his tenure, the electoral body conducted the election that brought\u00a0former President Goodluck Jonathan in and the March and April 2015 general\u00a0elections that brought President Muhammadu Buhari in.<\/p>\n
During his tenure, the INEC made remarkable input in the growth of\u00a0Nigeria\u2019s democracy, as both the general elections of 2011 and 2015 were\u00a0adjudged credible by observers.<\/p>\n
He will be remembered for his introduction of the Permanent Voters Card\u00a0and the use of card readers for accreditation of voters during the last\u00a0elections.<\/p>\n
Not much has been heard about the Chairman of INEC since the successful\u00a0conduct of the general elections two months ago.<\/p>\n
At a forum organised by university Vice Chancellors last week, Professor\u00a0Jega, spoke on his next move after his tenure.<\/p>\n
He also told journalists what informed the choice of Professors as\u00a0returning officers during elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that anybody who has risen in the system and developed a career\u00a0and became a Vice Chancellor will not for anything damage his or her\u00a0reputation by pandering to the wishes of politicians. That is why we\u00a0decided to make them returning officers and we are very pleased that they\u00a0have done this country proud.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am looking forward to taking a leave and resting and then going back to\u00a0my job in the university -Teaching, research and community service,\u201d\u00a0Professor Jega stated.<\/p>\n
His successor, Ambassador Wali hails from Sanyima town in Tambuwal Local\u00a0Government Area of Sokoto State, north-west Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Before his appointment as INEC National Commissioner, Ambassador Wali was\u00a0an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science, Usmanu\u00a0Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and Chief Executive Officer, Development
\nStrategies International (DSI).<\/p>\n
He is a member of various committees of INEC and the Chairman of the\u00a0Tenders Board.<\/p>\n
However, he would be acting as the INEC Chairman till the end of his\u00a0tenure in August 11, 2015.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Professor Attahiru Jega\u2019s tenure as the chairman of the Independent\u00a0National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come to an end. The former INEC boss, who took over from Professor Maurice Iwu, assumed\u00a0office…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40069,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n