By Jonathan Nda- Isaiah,
A Coalition of Political Parties on Thursday stormed the National Assembly to express their support for the screening and confirmation of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu by the Senate, as the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The coalition, however, urged the lawmakers to shun the alleged clandestine move by some politicians to scuttle the confirmation of Prof. Yakubu for second term.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had recently reappointed Prof. Yakubu for another tenure of five years.
The Coalition of Political Parties, which stormed the National Assembly with banners of varies inscriptions, appreciated Mr. President for reappointing Prof. Yakubu for a second term, adding that his reappointment was a right step in a right direction.
The inscriptions read: “All political parties in Nigeria accept professor Yakubu reappointment as INEC chairman, commend Senate President and Senators for speedy screening action.
“All political parties in Nigeria say President Buhari’s reappointment of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as INEC Chairman will help consolidate the ongoing reforms in INEC especially electronic voting.”
Addressing newsmen at the venue, the National Chairman of Action Alliance, Barr. Kenneth Udeze, gave kudos to President Buhari for the reappointment of Prof. Yakubu, adding that as oppositions is not all issues that should be criticized.
He said that when the President do something good, he should be appreciated
Commending Prof. Yakubu for his innovation in Edo and Ondo election, Barr. Udeze said that the transmission of election results by electronic means is commendable.
“He has done well. One thing is to have a team and another to have a good man at the head,” he said.
He called on Prof. Yakubu to stop using ad hoc staff as returning officers, but should use staff.
Udeze urged the INEC Chairman to replicate what he did in Edo and Ondo in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
Recall that last week , the inter – party advisory council ( IPAC) had raised the alarm over plots by a serving minister to procure an exparte order to stop the senate screening of Professor Yakubu as chairman of INEC.
Subsequently, IPAC petitioned President Buhari and Chief Justice of the federal high court as according to them it was a move to destabilize the electoral process and embarrass the president.
They also called on the Senate to save the country and all its institutions these present plots of desecration by speedily reconvening to consider, screen and confirm the nominee, Prof Yakubu.
They sternly advice these ministers and the couple of governors who are being alleged to be secretly working to undo the president’s nomination which was ratified by the Council of State while taking advantage of their closeness to the President that if all these allegations are true, to back down immediately as a mark of respect to the President now the plot has been exposed and the quest for Nigerians to have an improved and reformed electoral space.
According to them, these distractions are capable of casting a doubt as to the impartiality and credibility of the 2023 general election.
