Can this INEC break the jinx?

MANY great men, regarded prior to their posting to the hot seat of Chief Electoral Commissioner as men of integrity and accomplishment, left office with their honour bruised and battered. Those who were highly recommended for the office included Comrade Eyo Esua, foremost trade unionist; Chief Patrick Ani, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary; Justice Victor Ovie-Whiskey of the Bendel State judiciary and Professor Eme Awa, a first generation Nigerian Professor of Political Science.

Awa was succeeded y one of his former students who had attained the same rank, Humphrey Nwosu. He left the office for a historian, Professor Okon Uya who was succeeded by Sumner Dagogo-Jack. When it was time to mid-wife the Fourth Republic, general Abdulsalami Abubakar turned to Justice Ephraim Akpata who had retired as a Justice of the Supreme Court. Dr. Abel Guobadia who had served as an academic, a university administrator and diplomat was next in line.

Then came Professor Maurice Iwu. If the other professors were from the humanities, Iwu is a scientist. Now we have Jega, who until his appointment was the Vice Chancellor of the Bayero University, Kano. The problem with poll administration has never been about credentials.

Could the problem then be administrative capacity and experience? The commission is run by the chairman and 12 national commissioners. Last year, the tenure of 10 commissioners expired and they were replaced by new appointees. The only two commissioners inherited from Iwu are Messrs Philip Umeadi and Solomon Soyebi. Both were appointed to the commission in 2007.

Umeadi is a 47-year-old lawyer, while Soyebi, 55, had been a seasoned teacher before he was appointed a Resident Electoral Commissioner and later national commissioner. It was expected that they would bring their experience in administration of the commission to bear on preparations for 2011. Not much of this is obvious in the fiasco that Saturday poll was.

Other national commissioners boast varying qualifications and experience. M. K. Hammanga is a retired Colonel, Mrs. Thelma retired as a federal permanent secretary, Chris Eyimoga and Nuru Yakubu boast doctorate degrees. They are academics and Yakubu was Executive Secretary of the National Board of Technical Education.

Layiwola Olrode, from Osun state, is a professor of Sociology and 61-year-old Dame Gladys Nwafor from Abia State was not only a teacher, a graduate of Political Science, but left the Universal Basic Education Board as director.

Hajiya Amina Zakari, is a 50-year-old Pharmacist and Aminu Wali was an ambassador before his latest appointment. There is also Alhaji Abdulkadir Oniyangi.

But, perhaps the most experienced of them all is Dr Ishmael Igbani. He holds a Ph.D. in Rural Sociology which he obtained from the University of Wisconsin. He later served as a Professor of Sociology. At almost 70, he is about the oldest of the commissioners, obtained his Bachelors degree in Agriculture in 1964 at a time that many of the other commissioners were still toddlers. He was a politician in the Second Republic and served in the Shehu Shagari administration as a minister in various ministries between 1979 and 1983. Igbani was first appointed to INEC in 2003. His term expired in 2008 but got a recall last year when President Goodluck Jonathan had to reconstitute the commission.

Between them, the commission boasts enough experience and educational exposure that ought to have prepared them to perform better than they showed in their first assignment. Or, could it be said that it was the best that Nigeria could achieve given the way their predecessors had acquitted themselves?

A second chance beckons. If the National Assembly elections hold today as Professor Jega announced on Saturday, it will be the real test. However, if it is further shifted as the political parties are canvassing, the chance to redeem their images would come on Saturday.

The question is still pertinent: can Jega break the jinx? The answer will come from the conduct of the next election. One thing is certain: the buck stops at the desk of the Kebbi-born University administrator who came to the office well recommended.