Mahmood Yakubu has been urged to focus more on the conduct of free,
fair and credible elections on Saturday, rather than noise from the
All Progressives Congress, APC for the redeployment of the Akwa Ibom
State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mike Igini and other
officials of the commission that appeared to have refused to do the
biddings of the ruling party.
The Elections Transparency Group, ETG, which made the call on
Wednesday, said it was suspicious that the APC National Chairman,
Adams Oshiomhole singled out the Akwa Ibom State REC as one of the
INEC officials that the party was not comfortable with.
According to a statement issued by its Convener, Dr. Kazeem Adekunle,
the ETG reminded Nigerians the patriotism displayed by Igini during
the ill-fated August 2018 Rivers State bye-election, in which APC
wanted its candidate declared winner despite that the election was
marred by violence.
“Our group monitored that election and saw brazen display of violence
by miscreants and hoodlums accompanied by heavily armed security
personnel in uniform. Voting activities were disrupted; election
materials were destroyed while others, including smart card readers
and ballot boxes were carted away and many electoral officials
injured. It took the courage and boldness of Igini and two other INEC
RECs for the APC not to benefit from that electoral malfeasance,” ETG
said.
The group said it was even more worrisome that the APC in Akwa Ibom
State was threatening to boycott elections in the State if Igini was
not removed as REC, noting that “when one out 100 students is
insisting on the removal of an examiner, it should be clear to
discerning minds that such a student has hiding agenda.”
While condemning the invitation of some officials of INEC by the
Department of State Services, the ETG said it was becoming obvious
that the ruling party, APC was out to use instruments of the federal
government to force INEC to do its biddings and work against the
interests of Nigerians.
It warned that any attempt to manipulate the elections will spell doom
for the country, demanding that no official of INEC should honour
invitation from DSS, EFCC and other agencies of the federal government
until after the elections.
Calling on the INEC Chairman to do everything within his powers to
ensure credibility of the Saturday elections, the ETG said “Prof
Yakubu has the rare opportunity to either write his name on gold and
make himself a reference point for good before the entire world or
soil his name forever.”