INEC heavily influenced by political interests, Odinkalu alerts “principled”Amupitan
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“Well, I’ve got to say, I know Joash. We were in law school together. We were in the same law school class, and we were admitted to the Nigerian Bar on the same day.
“He’s what he said he is. Joash is a person of basic decency and integrity. And he’s bright as hell.
“My hope is that he will leave, when eventually his time comes, his tenure comes to an end, he will leave INEC as the same Joash whom I’ve known for the past 38 years.
“Now, INEC, obviously, is a different kettle of fish from running a university as a Deputy Vice-Chancellor ….
“INEC is also a territory ruled by a lot of principalities, as he’s likely to find out. There are lots of interests in INEC. Pretty much every staff member in INEC is accounted for.
“Every politician owns a lot of staff inside INEC, alright? And so before he says, ‘Good morning,’ there is somebody reporting that to one politician. And he’s going to discover very soon that it’s a very lonely position. It’s a thankless job.
“The people interested in what he eats for breakfast are too many. The people interested in what he thinks, how he prays, even about what he desires to do, as much as, which is very important, what he precludes and whom he precludes from becoming the dominant principality within INEC.
“I think that’s probably what he’s going to find out. But as for the man himself, I know him reasonably well. He is better, a lot better, in terms of integrity, let me say this, than the person [Mahmood Yakubu] whom he is replacing.
“When I said that INEC is a place dominated by multiple principalities, that’s exactly the point I was trying to make, there is no senior politician from the presidency to the state governments who does not have a plant in INEC” – Odinkalu.
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Heavy political influence exercised on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the President (whoever he is) and Governors has been highlighted and decried by former National Human Rights Commission Director General, Chidi Odinkalu.
The law Professor bared his mind on Channels Television during a discussion on the appointment of new INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan, whom he unveiled as his former classmate in law school.
Odinkalu described his now fellow law Professor as a person of integrity and intelligence, expressing hope that he would maintain his principles throughout his tenure at the INEC.
But he warned that the INEC is “a territory ruled by a lot of principalities” and riddled with political interference from nearly all top politicians in the country.
His words: “Well, I’ve got to say, I know Joash. We were in law school together. We were in the same law school class, and we were admitted to the Nigerian Bar on the same day.
“He’s what he said he is. Joash is a person of basic decency and integrity. And he’s bright as hell.
“My hope is that he will leave, when eventually his time comes, his tenure comes to an end, he will leave INEC as the same Joash whom I’ve known for the past 38 years.
“Now, INEC, obviously, is a different kettle of fish from running a university as a Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
“Although, you know, universities are also very political places, by the way, so it’s no mean skill, by the way, to be Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) in a university like the University of Jos, which is the last public position he took before he came to this position.
“Having said that, I can tell you that INEC is also a territory ruled by a lot of principalities, as he’s likely to find out. There are lots of interests in INEC. Pretty much every staff member in INEC is accounted for.
“Every politician owns a lot of staff inside INEC, alright? And so before he says, ‘Good morning,’ there is somebody reporting that to one politician. And he’s going to discover very soon that it’s a very lonely position. It’s a thankless job.
“The people interested in what he eats for breakfast are too many. The people interested in what he thinks, how he prays, even about what he desires to do, as much as, which is very important, what he precludes and whom he precludes from becoming the dominant principality within INEC.
“I think that’s probably what he’s going to find out. But as for the man himself, I know him reasonably well. He is better, a lot better, in terms of integrity, let me say this, than the person [Mahmood Yakubu] whom he is replacing.
“When I said that INEC is a place dominated by multiple principalities, that’s exactly the point I was trying to make, there is no senior politician from the presidency to the state governments who does not have a plant in INEC.”
Read also:
Odinkalu optimistic Amupitan won’t produce multiple results in one election, “as Mahmood Yakubu” did
