Nosike Ogbuenyi And Amby Uneze
30 November 2008
Owerri — Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday at Okigwe, Imo State, defended the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu, on the conduct of the last general election held in April, 2007.
He said there can be no perfect election anywhere in the world.
Jonathan, who was speaking as a special guest of honour at a reception in honour of the INEC Chairman at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Okigwe on Sunday, also urged Nigerians to support the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform panel, adding that it was the only way to appreciate the good work of Professor Iwu in the 2007 elections.
"Nigerians should not expect 100 percent in the conduct of elections in the country, but to support the electoral processes in order to achieve a maximum level of success.
"Nigerians can't expect 100 percent success. No country can be an exception. As a student if you score 70 per cent in an examination and fail 30 per cent, have you not passed that exam?", he asked urging Iwu to conduct a credible poll in the next elections.
Speaking on the ability of State Independent Election Commissions (SIEC) to conduct hitch free elections in relation to the development in Plateau State, he insisted that INEC under the leadership of Iwu, would have conducted better elections at the local government level.
According to him, "Nigerians must appreciate Maurice Iwu, the National and State Commissioners, and other staff of INEC for what they have done. They would say, well, I am a PDP Vice President, I must commend INEC".
" Let people go and examine elections that are being conducted by the various state electoral bodies (SIECs), the states that are controlled by PDP, ANPP, and other parties, most of them have conducted elections, if you now compare the elections and that conducted by INEC, I believe you will still put INEC over any other electoral commission" he added.
Jonathan decried the violence that trailed the Plateau local government elections citing the example of what is happening in Plateau State where many people had been killed and properties destroyed, because of local government council elections.
In his remarks, Iwu, revealed that apart from the well reported hiccups that confronted the commission and almost truncated the 2007 elections, some serious family challenges he faced at the time could have cowed him.
He said that if not for his faith in God, he would not have been able to overcome the trials and undertake the critical national assignment of conducting the elections.
According to Iwu, exactly one year before the elections, his aged mother was involved in a fatal motor accident and was critically injured alongside other family members with her in the vehicle while the driver died.
He said the vehicle was so mangled and reduced to wreckage to the extent that those who saw it could not believe that there were survivors. After his mother was discharged from hospital and few months to the election, his immediate younger brother died in mysterious circumstances.
He stated that he took the tragedy with Godly calmness so as not to be distracted from overseeing the conduct of the elections.
"The good Lord gave me the courage to be able to go home, quietly bury my brother and continue with the elections".
He listed some of the other reported challenges he faced before and during the elections as the tenure elongation campaign (third term), frustrating delays in releasing funds to INEC ahead of the elections, physical pressures and threats by those who did not want the elections to hold, the strong push for the establishment of an interim national government", he said.
The occasion was attended by the Governors Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State, Dr Babangida Aliyu of Niger State who delivered a lecture on "Challenges facing the Electoral Process in Nigeria: Appreciating Prof Maurice Iwu's contribution", Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji; Bayelsa State Governor, Timiprie Sylva.
Others include Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan; former governor Orji Uzor Kalu's mother, Eunice, Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Magatarda Wamako; former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, representative of Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief Whip of the House, Chief Emeka Ihedioha; Deputy Governor of Borno State representing his governor, and business mogul, Aliko Dangote.
Guests at the ceremony donated several millions of naira towards the completion of the pro cathedral.
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