The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Igbo apex socio-political organization, on Sunday, said the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, is not prepared and competent to conduct free, fair, and credible elections in 2023.
Ohanaeze said evidence confirmed that Yakubu has endangered and compromised his office with the level of falsification allegations leveled against him by the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, which revealed that the INEC Chief Umpire is “biased, unpredictable and unreliable to independently give Nigerians a credible election.”
Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Secretary-General, said President Muhammadu Buhari should get rid of Yakubu amid the allegations made by CUPP.
Isiguzoro said the best option for the INEC boss is to “tow the path of honor and resign honorably or if he refused to quit honorably, he should be sacked and interrogated by the relevant agencies for the manipulation and distortions of Voters register in line with the laws of the land.”
A statement he signed said: “Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral process under the watchful eye of Prof Mahmood Yakubu as his continued stay as INEC Chairman constitutes a security risk for the country and any elections supervised under him might not be acceptable and can trigger an avoidable constitutional disaster that might derail our hard preserved Democracy in 2023″ irrespective of the outcome of the Osun and Ekiti elections, there are so many sins of Prof Yakubu that should lead to his sack, the issues of sacking INEC officials in the database was obviously for the falsification allegations against him by CUPP and Prof Yakubu’s disobedience to the pronunciation of Supreme Court verdict on APGA leadership crisis.”
Isiguzoro maintained that the INEC chairman should clarify the allegations made by CUPP against him.
“Prof Yakubu owes Nigerians an explanation for the falsification allegations by CUPP, or Nigerians are hoping for President Buhari to get rid of people like Yakubu before he destroys Buhari’s parting gifts for Nigerians, a promise of a free, fair, and credible election in 2023.
“This is the best way to get rid of bad eggs in INEC, and Prof Yakubu should be shown the door, or he will plug Nigeria into a constitutional dilemma and crisis.
“As Nigerians schedule to occupy INEC offices nationwide, there should be caution on the side of the Federal Government in handling the people so that there should be no crisis in the exercise.”
