By Sodiq Omolaoye, Abuja
Passes vote of confidence in INEC chair
Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has accused desperate politicians hell-bent on rigging the 2023 general elections of being behind plot to remove Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The umbrella body of the 18 registered political parties, therefore, passed a vote of confidence in Nigeria’s chief electoral umpire.
Addressing journalists, yesterday, in Abuja, IPAC’s National Secretary, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, maintained that Nigerians would not tolerate a repeat of the June 12, 1993 presidential election impasse.
Recall that a Federal High Court had stopped an application seeking to remove Yakubu from office over alleged false asset declaration.
The ruling followed an originating summons marked FCT/HC/GAR/CV/47/2022 by Somadina Uzoabaka against the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami and Yakubu, seeking among others things, an order of mandatory injunction directing and compelling the INEC Chairman to recuse, excuse and exclude himself and or step down as head of the Commission pending investigation and consideration of the various allegations against him by the various law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, the complainant asked the judge to issue a 10-year ban on Yakubu from holding or assuming any public position.
But the INEC boss refuted the claim by providing the court with several exhibits to demonstrate the sources of funding for the acquisition of the properties that the plaintiff claimed were illegally acquired, arguing that his asset declaration was legitimately completed.
Dantalle, however, commended the judiciary for averting what he described as “grand plots to derail the ongoing electoral process, create a constitutional crisis, political upheavals and quagmire.”
While backing INEC on the deployment of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other technologies for the upcoming polls, IPAC warned “reactionary forces to desist from their plots to truncate the nation’s emerging democracy.”
Dantalle vowed that that his organisation would resist any attempt to jeopardise the ongoing electoral process geared at deepening the nation’s civil rule.
He continued: “INEC’s position on deployment of technology for the conduct of the 2023 general elections is in tandem with the stance of IPAC.”
“Accordingly, the entire political chairmen under the umbrella of IPAC reaffirm their confidence in INEC, led by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to conduct the 2023 general elections. IPAC is satisfied with the preparations, arrangements and measures taken so far by the Commission to conduct free, fair, credible, transparent, inclusive, peaceful and generally acceptable elections.”
IPAC urged security agents to be proactive and ensure adequate protection of life and property before, during and after the elections.
Source: The Guardian
