Date Published: 03/31/10

30th March 2010.

Press Release.

Lagos AC Supports Labour’s Protest and Demand for Iwu’s Removal.

As the Nigerian Labour Congress and civil society prepare to embark on public demonstrations to press for the removal of Maurice Iwu as INEC Chairman and the full implementation of the Uwais Electoral Reform Panel reports, the Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress has stated that it fully supports the demands and calls on all Nigerians to be fully involved in this phase of the struggle. The party says it is beginning to suspect that there are deliberate sinister motives behind the criminal silence on the just demand that the vessel of fraudulent elections should be eased off and the electoral process be sanitized for a credible process that will usher in a new crop of leaders that will drive Nigeria’s recovery from 2011.

In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the AC, Joe Igbokwe, Lagos AC says that the first step towards a free and fair election in 2011 as promised by Acting President Jonathan is to remove Iwu, who is on record to have conducted one of the worst elections known in human history in April 2007. It wonders why the present government and the national assembly feel compelled to shield Iwu from removal even after the facts of his sordid conduct in 2007 are public knowledge.

“We remain skeptical of the hide and seek game the presidency and the national assembly are playing with the Iwu issue after the macabre manner he messed up the general election of 2007. We are surprised that Acting President Jonathan has kept conspiratorially silent on the issue of removal of Iwu, as yet another general election approaches and Nigerians express deep apprehension at the continued obtrusive presence of Iwu in the country’s electoral body and the abrasive manner he has been sponsoring campaigns for his retention at a post he has soiled and corrupted the electoral body. We are even more surprised at the attitude of the senate, as presented recently by Senator Isiaka Adeleke who vowed that nobody can remove Iwu, as a way of showing gratitude for the macabre manner the bulk of the present public office holders were rigged into office in 2007 by Iwu.

“Nigerians know that today, what remains of INEC is a very tiny clique of racketeers who are freely spending public money in pursuit of their narrow interests. As presently constituted, INEC is not competent to organize any election in Nigeria. What more, the electoral body is organized on the brainwave of a very corrupt and amoral head who deigns no scruples emptying the finances of INEC to pursue an unholy tenure elongation that  will certainly lead Nigeria to a renewed tenure in political crisis.

“We whole heartedly support the planned protest against the continued retention of Iwu and the deliberate keeping of the Uwais panel reports in abeyance as another election fast approach. We support the Nigerian Labour Congress and other patriotic Nigerians that have decided to rise up to protest this attempt to deepen evil and electoral fraud, just because it aids the inordinate ambition of the PDP for perpetual power. We also support the protests by various Nigerians and members of the international community to push for the removal of Iwu and the adoption of the reports of the Electoral reform Panel. We want all Nigerians to rise in one big crescendo to this critical demand for electoral sanity for the continued growth and progress of the country. We want Nigerians to troop out en mass to participate in the protest by the NLC and to continue demanding for the removal of Iwu and the adoption of the Uwais Reform Panel reports.”

Joe Igbokwe.

Publicity Secretary,

Lagos AC,