From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, ignited laughter when he faulted the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for not inviting former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, to the 2018 Democracy Day lecture.
Orubebe had during the release of the result of the 2015 presidential election attempted to disrupt the process.
In mild drama that took place on March 3, 2015, Orubebe, a former minister of the Niger Delta, had taken hold of the microphone at the centre and sat on the stage while criticising Jega’s handling of the result collation.
Orubebe had said: “Jega you have been compromised, we are no longer confident in you.”
The ex-minister had accused Jega of handing out results to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to publish on its site.
Buhari said organisers should have invited him to the lecture delivered by Jega who he confronted at the presidential election collation centre.
“Here, I must digress to raise an observation about the programme organisers because I did not see Mr. Orubebe who ought to have come and listen to Prof. Jega deliver his lecture. This is a major observation. That instance, for those of us who were lucky that there was light and we had the television to see the confrontation between Orubebe and Prof. Jega, it will remain a life impression to many of us.
“The other one (observation) is Prof. Jega’s briefing to the government, the opposition and the military before the date of the election was finally agreed on.
“Prof. Jega, it was not surprising, briefed us of his activities between 2011 and 2015: the recruitment, equipping and training of INEC officials, that gave those of us who are lucky to get the report the courage that nothing outside the Constitution of Nigeria would be accepted by the opposition so the question of an interim administration or postponing election for more than 90 days should not be on the table.”
He thanked the United States government then under President Obama for sending John Kerry to read the riot act to the government and to the opposition then that nothing other than a free and fair election will be acceptable.
Meanwhile, President Buhari said compared to 2015 when he took over, the security in the country has considerably improved.
According to him, the incidences of bombings in towns and villages have been drastically curtailed, series of plots have been averted and stopped and culprits arrested through the vigilance, patriotism and professionalism of our security agencies.
“The entire country has been freed from occupation of any of its parts by insurgents,” he added.
The president admitted his three-year-old administration has been dotted with challenges.
“We have experienced rough times, but through good governance we have not allowed ourselves to be overawed by the existing of challenges.
“Weak governance is often at the core of rising inequality and unequal development resulting in social disruption and political unrest with negative impacts on growth and development,” Buhari said to the audience which included President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.