The nation’s service chiefs have been summoned by the Nigerian Senate to appear before it and explain why the military claimed not to be available to provide security during the originally scheduled dates of general elections.
The lawmakers reached this decision at plenary after meeting with Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday.
The Senate Minority Leader, George Akume, moved the motion for the service chiefs to be invited for questioning after Professor Jega said he could not answer the security-related questions posed to him.
Addressing reporters after the plenary, Senator representing Kwara Central, Bukola Saraki, explained that it is necessary for the service chiefs to be summoned since there were only a handful of questions that Mr. Jega could answer.
Saraki, who was formerly the governor of Kwara State, said security issues relating to the elections could not be answered until the service chiefs are present stressing that, “we are still back to that issue of security”.
According to him, “I think that further emphasizes what we were saying yesterday, that the Senate and the National Assembly still need to invite the service chiefs to give us assurance.
“He (Mr. Jega) said categorically that he cannot answer that question that we need to have the Service Chiefs to answer that question.
“If we keep on talking to Professor Jega, we cannot hold him responsible for that. What we can hold him responsible for, he has given a good explanation already.
“The most important thing is holding election on that day and the only person that can answer that as he said is that we should bring the service chiefs to answer that.
“So next week, we hope the leadership will do the right thing,” the former governor stated.
