INEC slams PDP, LP, ADC over call on Prof Yakubu to resign

Ogunsakin Mustapha
3 Min Read
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu at the event

The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) on Tuesday reacted to the call by three parties, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Labour Party(LP), and African Democratic Party(ADP) on its chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to resign calling it misplaced, and the allegations of scores allocation unfounded and irresponsible.

The  three parties  in Abuja alleged that the February 2023 presidential election was marred with violence, rigging and intimidation of voters. They demanded the conduct of a fresh election. “We are therefore constrained by this development to state that INEC compromised the integrity of this election even before collation commenced at the polling units.

“Section 60 sub-section 5 of the Electoral Act says that the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballots in a manner as prescribed by the commission. A failure to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the guidelines makes it imperative that all results recently uploaded on the IReV portal must be updated before they are announced. INEC went back on that promise…This election is not free and far from being fair and transparent. We shall not be part of the electoral process currently going on at the National Collation Centre and we demand that this sham of an election be immediately canceled. We also call for a fresh election to be carried out in accordance with the laid down INEC procedure. We therefore call on Yakubu to step aside from his role,” the LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, who delivered the position of the three opposition parties, said.

However, in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the results emanating from the states point to a free, fair, and credible electoral process.

Oyekanmi said: “There are laid down procedures for aggrieved parties or candidates to follow when they are dissatisfied about the outcome of an election. Such procedures do not include calling on the INEC Chairman to resign or for the election to be canceled;

To be sure, aggrieved parties are free to approach the courts to ventilate their concerns and wait for the matter to be resolved. Making inciting comments capable of causing violence or unrest is unacceptable;

The 2023 General election processes are in their final stages of completion. It is only fair for aggrieved parties to allow the conclusion of the process and approach the courts with their evidence to pursue their cases”.

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