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President Jonathan’s Media Chat Covers INEC, Boko Haram, And Election Postponement

President Jonathan made it clear that “elections will be conducted in this country and the government will be inaugurated on May 29th of this year.”

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President Goodluck Jonathan spoke in an intimate setting with four members of the press. The media chat comes days after a controversial poll shift, postponing Nigeria’s general elections to March 28th and April 11th.

The media chat sought to address concerns that President Jonathan was conspiring to sack the INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega, and alleged plans to not hand over power in the event he loses his election. Members of the media also used this opportunity to question Jonathan on Boko Haram in the north, the Chibok girls, and corruption.

President Jonathan made it clear that “[when] the elections are conducted and [if] I lose, of course, we will inaugurate a new government” and stated that “the rumor that I will not hand over or that I am scheming to prolong my tenure are insinuations; they are not true.”

When asked about his confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman Attahiru Jega to carry out elections, Jonathan said that “if I feel that Jega is not good enough, for obvious reasons, then I can by provisions in the Constitution that gives the person who appoints the power to remove, and I’ve not told anybody I’m going to remove Jega.”

President Jonathan reassured the Nigerian public that “the issues of Chibok girls will get better soon.” He pointed to new developments and partnerships with Nigeria’s neighbors Cameroon and Chad to help combat Boko Haram and save the Chibok girls “we have mapped out strategies, we are working with our neighbors and we will comb all the areas. So, just give us sometime.”

President Jonathan was puzzled by what he calls “the politiziation of Boko Haram.” He said that “I can’t even imagine someone insinuating that I [would be responsible] for politicizing Boko Haram.” He made it clear that Boko Haram would not be crushed in the next six weeks, but that insecurity will mitigated enough to carrying out meaningful elections in northern states.

President Jonathan wanted to emphasize in his closing remarks that “elections will be conducted in this country and the government will be inaugurated on May 29th of this year.”