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The
Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) at the weekend joined a growing chorus
of politicians and civil society activists calling for the sack of
Maurice Iwu as chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC).

The NLC said on
Sunday that it will collaborate with the Alliance for Credible
Elections (ACE) to reinforce its demand by staging a protest against
Iwu’s continuous stay and retention as the chairman of INEC at the
National Assembly on Wednesday.

‘Iwu must go’

Both bodies say
they are mobilising hundreds of Nigerians to join the protest march,
which will also seek the total implementation of the recommendations
contained in the report of the Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform
Committee.

“Labour is saying
that Iwu lacks the integrity to remain in office as INEC chairman.”
Abdulahi Danja Yahaya, the vice chairman of the NLC’s Abuja chapter,
said.

He said Mr. Iwu
could not produce a credible voters register in 2007 neither could he
serially number the ballot papers used in the presidential election.

“We have had WAEC
(West African Examination Council), and NECO (National Examination
Council) registrations in Nigeria and we have not seen any case where a
candidate who registered in Yobe have his name appear in Anambra State.
So why should it be during electoral process we will be moving voters’
register from one state to another?” Mr. Yahaya asked. “It is because
the chairman lacks that integrity… let the head do the proper thing
first and let the politicians hijack the boxes.”

‘Stop the lobby’

The group also
alleged that the INEC chairperson is lobbying high profile government
officials to help retain him in office beyond July. The group also
alleged that Mr. Iwu has been renting crowds to sing his praise.

“It is wrong for
Iwu who is supposed to be an umpire is lobbying top government
officials to retain his job in INEC,” Emma Ezeazu, the general
secretary of the ACE, said. “His tenure should not be renewed.”

The second demand of the coalition, as they protest on Wednesday, will be for full implementation of the ‘Uwais report’.

According to the
Mr. Ezeazu, both labour and the larger society are not satisfied with
the partial implementation of the report so far by both the senate and
the House of Representatives.

“Financial autonomy without political independence is not good enough,” he said.

Mr. Ezeazu argued that except the Uwais report is fully implemented, Nigerians cannot be guaranteed free and fair election.

“The issue is the
strategic recommendation of the Uwais report that for the independence
of INEC, the power of the president to unilaterally appoint the INEC
chairman and commissioners should be whittled down by introducing an
element of quality control through the NJC (National Judicial
Council),” Mr. Ezeazu said. This recommendation was rejected by the
Senate.

“We think that electoral reform has been shot in the leg. We hope that the House or Reps will reverse this,” he added.