Agbakoba Seeks INEC Chairman Removal, Hails  Emefiele, Bawa Suspension

A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu to remove the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmoud Yakubu, from office.

Agbakoba, who made the call in a statement he released through his media assistant, Niyi Odunmorayo, said for the ongoing reforms embarked upon by the Tinubu administration to succeed, Yakubu must be leave office by resignation or removal.

The senior lawyer applauded the president for getting rid of the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele and the chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) AbdulRasheed Bawa over fuel subsidy and forex corruption.

He said the action of the president had dealt a massive blow to endemic corruption in the country.

Agbakoba stated that the 2023 elections were the worst in Nigerian history in terms of the logistics deplored.

He said, “Everyone will agree that logistically, the 2023 elections are the worst in our history. I do not refer to the merits of the results of the elections.

“Many results are disputed and are in Tribunals. Both petitioners and respondents suffered at the hands of an incompetent INEC.

“As we await rulings from the courts massive reforms of the electoral framework ought to begin but this means that the INEC Chairman will have to leave office by resignation or removal, otherwise the reform task will be impeded.

“I add very quickly that the suggested reforms have nothing to do with the merits of election results at all. Both winners and losers of the elections were victims of the failure of INEC.

“Confidence in Nigeria’s democracy will be enhanced by a deep cleansing of INEC,” Agbakoba insisted.