I didnt lobby for INEC post??Jega threatens to resign over additional poll units

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The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday, declared that there was no hidden agenda with the creation of the additional 30,000 polling units across the country by the commission.

Jega also hinted that he would not hesitate to resign his position as INEC chairman.

Sharp criticism continues to trail the exercise especially in the Southern region with leading groups such as Afenifere and Southern Nigeria People?s Assembly (SNPA) condemning it.

They said it was an insult that over 21,000 polling units was allocated to the North while the South got less than 9,000.

Breakdown shows: South-West: 4,160, South-South: 3,087 and South-East: 1,167; a total of 8,414.

North-West: 7,906, North-East: 5,291, and the North-Central: 6,318; a total of 21,615 The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was allocated 1,120.

Reacting at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Jega explained why the electoral commission was creating additional new polling units ahead of the 2015 general elections.

?For the avoidance of doubt, the commission has not yet created the additional polling units, it has simply approved the framework and guidelines to facilitate the creation of these additional polling units by Resident Electoral Commissioners and the state offices of INEC?, he said.

Prof. Jega, expressed disappointment over the criticism generated by the exercise, saying that ?some mischief makers want to turn it (creation of new polling units) into ethnic contest.

?I am not an ethnic or religion jingoist and no one in this commission is like that?.

Declaring that he would continue to put in his best on the job, the INEC boss said, ?The day I know I can?t do this job to satisfy my conscience, I will resign.

?I do my best and all the commissioners here do their best also. So far that we are here, we?ll do our best, nobody lobbied to be here?.