Council of the Wise Visits Obasanjo, Condemns Calls for Jega’S Sack

A group, the Council of the Wise, has condemned all ethnic militias’ calls for the sack of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega.
The council, who visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, at his Hilltop Mansion in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, described the protests staged by armed ethnic militias in some parts of the country as “unfortunate” and “partisan”.
The Daily Times recalled that the Movement for the Survival of Biafra (MASOB) had last week carried out a violent protest in Enugu, Enugu state, against Professor Jega while the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) staged theirs on Monday in Lagos state.
But speaking with journalists after emerging from the closed door meeting with former President Obasanjo, Coordinator of the group, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, said those calling for the sack of Jega ought to know that it is not the proper thing to do at this critical period.
Gambari who was the Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), explained that the council was visiting Obasanjo as part of the mission of the Council of the wise, established by Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development’s concern about the year 2015 general elections “like many Nigerians”.
He lamented the sheer ignorance being displayed by the ethnic militia, stressing that “you don’t change a referee at the middle of a game.”
According to him, “We have been visiting past presidents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil societies, security forces and INEC of course”.
“The objective is to have credible and violence – free general elections and Nigerians want this. The International community are watching, we have five elections to be held in West Africa alone this year and Nigeria is number one and five elections in Africa this year.
“As the most populous black country in Africa and the one with the largest economy, all of these place on us a greater re-sponsibility to conduct our elections as an example for others. So, free and fair election is important peace is important and a reason Nigeria should show a good example.