The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, was trying to cover up the flaws he committed in the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections
Atiku Abubakar’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, disclosed on Sunday in a reaction to the promise the INEC chairman made at the weekend during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) to address flaws noticed in the last elections.
Yakubu, in a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners on Saturday, had promised to ensure the strict use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System
The INEC chairman stated, “All staff found to be negligent, whether they are regular or ad hoc officials, including collation and returning officers, must not be involved in the forthcoming elections. RECs must also immediately initiate disciplinary action where prima facie evidence of wrongdoing has been established.”
Shaibu said the promise by Prof Yakubu to deliver credible governorship polls, by ensuring that INEC officials found wanting during the presidential election will be barred from engaging in the March 11 governorship poll, is worthless and unconvincing.
He accused the INEC chairman of trying to cover up after conducting the worst elections and asked him not to deceive Nigerians again after the questionable performance of INEC in the February 25 polls.
Shaibu praised the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, for admitting that the elections were far below the expectations of Nigerians.
The statement reads, “The INEC chairman is nothing but a hypocrite. After promising to upload the results from polling units in real-time, he allowed himself to be used, or he used himself in subverting the will of Nigerians. It will shock you to note that seven days since the election ended, the full results have still not been uploaded on INEC’s result viewing portal.
“The election was so bad that it failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians as restated by several foreign media outlets and observers as well as Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard of the US. Rather than apologise, the INEC chairman is trying to shift blame.
“After INEC’s abysmal performance at the scam election of February 25, he is now trying to save face, insisting that errant staff would be punished and would not be deployed in the March 11 governorship poll. This is arrant nonsense. Is INEC planning on training new staff within five days that will replace the so-called errant ones? Is he going to recruit new staff or deploy some from outer space?”
Shaibu, however, advised that the INEC chairman should be “man enough to own up to his failure” adding that already, “over 300,000 Nigerians have signed a petition on Change.Org to demand that the US, UK and Europe place a visa ban on the INEC chairman.”
