INEC: AYCF, NEN Kick Against Protest Seeking Yakubu’s Resignation

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) and the Northern Emancipation Network (NEN) have opposed agitations by the United Nigerians in the Diaspora (UND) for the resignation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Professor Mahmoud Yakubu.

UND had threatened to stage protests in major cities around the world seeking Yakubu’s removal.
But the AYCF president general Yerima Shettima and the chairman of NEN Suleiman Abbah in a joint statement said the threat is a sponsored plot to undermine the gains recorded by INEC and the democratic stability attained by Nigeria, saying the move must be vehemently resisted.
They said the campaign appears to be part of a wider clandestine plot to discredit Nigerian institutions and reverse the populist tendencies of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, adding “It is imperative that we stand against any efforts to destabilise our democracy and tarnish the reputation of those working tirelessly to ensure free and fair elections.”

They also claimed that certain individuals in the diaspora are using the platform provided by foreign countries to propagate hate and incite discontent against Nigeria.
AYCF and NEN both condemned the behavior and called on the international community not to allow their spaces to be used for such nefarious purposes.
“Countries like the United Kingdom and the United States have laws in place to prohibit hate speech and incitement of violence, and it is surprising that they have not taken action against the threats made by UND.”

The northern groups said as a sovereign country, Nigeria has always maintained friendly and supportive relationships with its international partners but that the actions of UND are seen as unpatriotic and aimed at destabilising the peace and unity of Nigeria.