‘Call For Sack Of INEC Chair Attempt To Manipulate 2023 Elections’

The Unified Nigerian Youth Forum (UNYF) has averred that the call for the sack of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood is an attempt to manipulate the 2023 general elections if allowed to succeed.

The President of the group, Comrade Abdulsalam Mohammed Kazeem stated this in Kaduna while addressing a world press conference, stressing that “those people calling for the sack of INEC Chairman are paid agents seeking to manipulate next year’s election.

“We on behalf of our members pass a vote of confidence on the INEC national Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and his entire team for being worthy ambassadors of our nation.

“Despite the giant strides recorded by the current Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood  especially in the area of deploying cutting edge technology such as Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for credible, fair and transparent elections as well as voter mobilisation and enlightenment, such agents are bent on denting his good image”.

Kazeem said, it is in public domain, the activities of certain group of persons purporting to be promoting the interest of the north and Nigeria, but sadly working for the enemies of the nation, this persons have continued to falsely accused and demand the resignation and sack of the INEC Boss for carrying out his mandate.

“Those behind this charade are nothing but paid agents and goons of selfish and unpatriotic politicians seeking to manipulate next years general elections at all cost. We dispel in strong terms the rumours making rounds that the INEC Boss and his management team have morally compromised because of pressure from political parties to deactivate BVAS. For the record, please note that; BVAS and all the electoral reforms currently in place have been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC majority National Assembly.

“It is inconceivable to say that the APC or any political party is pressuring INEC. It is again not true that INEC and indeed Prof. Yakubu Mahmood have been pressured by anybody to deactivate or stop the use of the BVAS they introduced in fulfilment of the president’s promise of delivering a transparent election.

“INEC is established by law and has a law guiding its activities. No individual can wake up and decide to deactivate the use of BVAS when the law says it should be deployed. Those who make allegations like this are out to tarnish the reputation of the INEC and that of its indefatigable Chairman. Nigerians must not fall to such antics especially now that the general elections is at hand, Politicians are jittery and will do/say anything to make noise.

“We also want to make clear that the allegations that INEC acted in a morally compromised way and denied some persons from the north west and north central an extended period of voter registration as a result of the network shutdown for special military operations is false and misleading.

“The issue of voter registration by INEC is centrally controlled and it is impossible to open the portal for only a particular region. INEC at the behest of Nigerians and the National Assembly extended voter registration severally to enable all Nigerians to register and exercise their franchise.  Besides, the exercise is continuous and repetitive, so how come certain persons are grumbling when INEC opened the portal severally after the era of telecommunication shutdown?

“We are equally worried and concerned with the barefaced lie in some quarters that 15,000 foreigners were registered in September alone in the Ward of the current Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma. Nothing can be more misleading and dishonest than this claim especially now that INEC has recently sanitized the voter register with more than 2 million double registrants expunged.

“The allegations of ghost voters, registration of foreigners and preloaded fake accreditation as insinuated by mischief makers is unintelligent, shallow and unfounded.

“How did the foreigners gain entry into the country without detection by the Nigerian Immigration Services/ State security services? Does Imo State share border with any foreign country? How will those fake preloaded accredited electorates cast their votes or will they be giving ballots in polling stations without on-site accreditation? This is laughable and should be disregarded.

” We must take this opportunity to laud Mr. President and the APC controlled National Assembly for massively supporting reforms in the electoral body to ensure transparent, credible and fair elections. Unlike the unfounded fears expressed in some quarters, the APC government has demonstrated in recent time genuine committed to a transparent and credible process for Nigerians.

“Hence, Nigerians should therefore, commend and support INEC towards discharging their mandate next year without paying attention to naysayers who are out to destabilize the country with their concocted lies.