ABUJA – Barring last-minute changes, there are indications that Prof Attahiru Jega, the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral (INEC), may emerge as the vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
Sources within the Labour Party confided in Eighteen-Eleven Media that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has firmed up an arrangement to have Jega, who is also a former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as his running mate.
In his recent speeches, Obi has been lamenting the plight of university lecturers and Nigerian students who have been at home for several months since ASUU declared its current strike.
Although the Labour Party announced former presidential aide, Dr Doyin Okupe as its presidential running mate, the party made it clear it was on an interim basis. This was done in order to beat the INEC deadline for submission of names for the office by political parties. In the case of the Labour Party, talks are yet to be finalised particularly as Professor Jega is a prominent member of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) and has shown interest in the Kebbi State Government House.
Born on 11 January 1957, Attahiru Jega is also a former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano. On 8 June 2010, he was nominated by then President Goodluck Jonathan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as a replacement for Professor Maurice Iwu, who vacated the post on 28 April 2010.