You Ought To Have Invited Orubebe To Speak At The 3rd Anniversary Lecture...Buhari Tells SGF

President Mohammadu Buhari has faulted the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for not inviting a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsay Orubebe, to the lecture marking the third anniversary of his government

Orubebe during the release of the result of the 2015 presidential election had attempted to disrupt the process.

Buhari said the organisers should have invited Orubebe to attend the lecture delivered by Jega, who he confronted at the presidential election collation centre. The President said, “Here, I must digress to raise an observation about the programme organisers because I did not see Mr. Orubebe, who ought to have come and listened to Prof. Jega deliver his lecture. This is a major observation.

“That instance, for those of us who were lucky that there was electricity supply and we had the television to see the confrontation between Orubebe and Prof. Jega, it will remain a life impression. “The other one (observation) is Prof. Jega’s briefing to the government, the opposition and the military before the date of the election was finally agreed on.

“Prof. Jega, it was not surprising, briefed us of his activities between 2011 and 2015: the recruitment, equipping and training of INEC officials, that gave those of us who were lucky to get the report the courage that nothing outside the Constitution of Nigeria would be accepted by the opposition. So, the question of an interim administration or postponing the election for more than 90 days should not be on the table.

“I thank the United States Government then under President (Barack) Obama for sending John Kerry to read the riot act to the government and to us the opposition then that nothing other than a free and fair election would be acceptable.”

Source: Punch