Godsday Orubebe, former Minister of Niger Delta
President Muhammadu Buhari has faulted the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for not inviting former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godsay Orubebe, to the 2018 Democracy Day Lecture.
Recall that the lecture was held on Monday in Abuja with Buhari saying Orubebe should have been invited to listen to former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Attahiru Jega deliver as guest lecturer.
Orubebe in 2015, nearly disrupted the announcement of the election results as Jega reeled them out.
And Buhari observed that Orubebe was not present in the lectures which he faulted.
“Here I must digress to raise an observation by the programme organisers because I did not see Mr Orubebe who ought to have come and listen to professor Jega deliver his lecture, this is a major observation,” Buhari said.
“That instance, for those of us who were lucky that there was light and we had the television to see the confrontation between Orubebe and Prof Jega, it will remain a life impression to many of us.
“The other one is the Prof Jega briefing to the government, the opposition and the military before the date of the election was finally agreed on.
“Prof Jega, as a professor, 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 are lucky to get the report, the courage that nothing outside the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would be accepted by the opposition.”