Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, must be left feeling like an orphan by now.

Last week, he was under fire from the southern groups and leaders, who accused him of favouring his region of birth (the North) in the allocation of the 30,000 additional polling units created by INEC for the 2015 presidential polls. Now, the North – which was allocated 21,615 units while 8,412 units were given to the South – has also criticised the exercise, claiming that it favours the South.

A meeting of leading Northern groups and Associations on National Security challenges and the North held on Sunday (September 14) at the National Headquarters of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) resolved to “reject the recent allocation of additional polling units by INEC which deliberately conferred undeserved advantages on states in the South.”

According to the communique of the meting signed by Col. JIP Ubah, (rtd), Secretary General ACF, and Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Secretary General, Code Group, “The creation of additional polling units should be re-visited, using standard criteria that INEC is aware of. Attempts to blackmail and stampede INEC into abandoning its hallowed responsibilities to do justice to all Nigerians, or sacrifice the rights of northern voters are hereby condemned. The North expects INEC to re-allocate the polling units in strict compliance with its standard guidelines without fear or favour.”

The communique also rejected “any excuse to prevent any citizen from participating in the 2015 General Elections.” It added: “Similarly, any attempt to secure extention of tenure under the cover of security will be resisted by people of the North. Like all Nigerians, northerners expect the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to provide a secure and safe environment for the 2015 elections, and avoid any attempt to jeapodise the democratic process in Nigeria.

“All political, traditional and religious leaders in the North are urged to educate and mobilise their people on the need to get registered and issued with National I.D cards and Permanent Voters Cards;

“Every effort must be made to ensure that during the 2015 elections all votes must count, and the will of the people must not be hijacked or subverted under any guise.”

The meeting “observed that the disastrous collapse of security around the population of the North East in particular and the inability of our armed forces to contain the spread of the insurgency represent a failure of President Goodluck Jonathan to protect Northerners and other Nigerians. In this context, Northerners have no option than to examine their situation critically, and take all legitimate steps necessary to improve their own security.”

It also noted “the failure of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to provide the necessary leadership and commitment in protecting people of the North, particularly those in the North East.”

It consequently decided as follows:

*All road blocks in the North should be dismantled and removed immediatly, as they serve no purpose than remind Northners that they are an occupied people who must submit to oppression and extortion.

*To invite the attention of former Heads of State and President, General Yakubu Gowon, President Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and General Abdulsalami Abubakar to recognize that they are severely under-utilised assets, and northerners expect them to improve their inputs into influencing events around their security and economic well-being;

*Request the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives and all legislators from the North to note that northerners expect them to execise greater commitment towards ensuring that President Goodluck Jonathan’s goverment is made more accountable to northerners and the citizens of Nigeria in the manner it handles national security and the management of resources of the nation;

*Remind Northern Govenors that citizens are dissappointed over their seeming neglect of the security and welfare of the people of the North. In the next few weeks, activities of joint committees will approach Governors and involve them in mobilising citizens towards supporting all measures to improve security in the North, and will inform northerners of responses of all our elected leaders.

•Photo shows INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega.

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