Denzel F.madu
we just learned that Maurice Iwu, the embattled chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has authorized a plan by his family and other US-based hirelings to organize a protest against Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s acting president who arrives the US tomorrow, and President Barack Obama. Our sources disclosed that Iwu, who has a long history of fraud, has been infuriated since learning that Jonathan is dead set against renewing him as INEC chair.
“He’s not taking his impending sack lightly, and he has decided to take the fight to the US,” said one of our sources who is in Iwu’s circles.
Our sources revealed that the protests are being organized by Iwu’s children in the Maryland area as well as some associates who have benefited from Iwu’s corrupt largesse since he assumed office five years ago as INEC chairman.
“Some of the protesters will carry placards condemning Jonathan’s decision to remove Iwu while others will criticize the Obama administration for openly demanding Iwu’s ouster,” said one source. He added that Iwu instructed that the demonstrators try to speak to the US media and to emphasize that “Obama should not interfere in the internal affairs of Nigeria.”
Over the last five weeks, Iwu has launched an extensive campaign in a bid to retain his seat as head of the electoral commission. A senior INEC source told Saharareporters that Iwu “is disdainful of the idea that a majority of Nigerians as well as the US, the UK and the EU would want to see him step aside.” The source added that Iwu’s campaign to retain his post is being financed by some politicians propelled into office by Iwu’s fraudulent electoral methods. “Professor Iwu enjoys the support of the powerful but amorphous organization of Nigerian state governors known as ‘Governors Forum’ as well as many members of the National Assembly that he helped rigged into office in 2007. Most of Iwu’s campaign budget has come from Governor Ohakim [of Imo] who fears that his reelection will become impossible if Iwu leaves INEC,” added the source.
Two weeks ago, former Biafran leader Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu drew sharp criticism when he canvassed support for Iwu’s re-appointment as INEC chair. Ojukwu, who is leader of APGA, based his support on the conduct of the February 6 2010 governorship election in Anambra which he described as exemplary. Incumbent Governor Peter Obi of APGA was declared winner of the election.
Iwu’s war chest and ferocious campaign have been countered by widespread demonstrations against him. “Mr. Iwu’s departure would be one signal from the Jonathan administration of a commitment to credible polls in 2011,” a State Department official told Saharareporters today.
Investigation by Saharareporters revealed that Iwu’s reputation for fraud long predated his appointment into INEC. He used a fake bachelor’s degree to gain admission into Bradford University in London where he studied pharmacology. In 1993, Iwu stole $45,000 that was mistakenly credited to his account with CITIBANK. When the bank discovered the mistake, Iwu claimed he withdrew and spent the money because he thought it came from some research grants he had applied for. Iwu did not fully repay CITIBANK until his appointment as INEC chair. Iwu’s most startling fraud was when he claimed he had invented a cure for the dreaded Ebola virus. Based on the false claim, the US government gave him a huge research grant that ran into more than $4 million. “The sad part of the scam is that Iwu’s lab never produced even a soup,” said a US scientist knowledgeable about the issue.
Earlier today, aides to Jonathan told Saharareporters that the acting president “has no plans to renew Iwu’s tenure when it expires in June. A US source also corroborated the assertion, telling our reporter that Washington was confident that “Mr. Iwu will definitely be let go.”
A source in Abuja told Saharareporters that Jonathan decided not to fire Iwu arbitrarily “so that Professor Iwu’s friends in the [Nigerian] Senate would not have cause to give a hard time to Iwu’s replacement.” Our sources said Jonathan has vetted several candidates and already settled on Iwu’s replacement.
Jonathan is scheduled to arrive the US tomorrow on a four-day working visit that would include a meeting on Sunday with President Obama as well as a series of other meetings, speeches and engagements.
The US trip is the first since his appointment as Acting President.
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