A political activist and former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Monday, called on the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to, as a matter of urgency, resign his appointment or President Muhammadu Buhari should do the needful by relieving him of his position for conducting whag he cslled the worst-ever rigged elections in the history of Nigeria.
He called on President Buhari to be courageous enough to sack Professor Yakubu for bringing shame and opprobrium to the country by declaring highly compromised and heavily doctored results as an outcome for the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Frank, who made ths call in a statement in Abuja on Monday, said it was high time the INEC boss resign because Nigerians have lost total confidence in him.
“We are supposed to be the light and example in Africa but with the dismal conduct of INEC and its officials during the last Presidential and National Assemby elections, other countries in the continent absolutely have nothing to learn from us because of what Yakubu and INEC have done,” he said.
He insisted that despite the avalanche of facts of rigging and manipulation that characterised the Presidential and National Assembly elections available in huge volume of videos, audios and documentary evidences yet Yakubu went ahead to declare the APC’s Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as winner.
He said: “Nigerians have lost confidence in Yakubu. His words and his promises mean nothing. He has started again by promising free and fair governorship and State Assembly elections but Nigerians are no fools because they know he will do exact the opposite.
“Prof. Yakubu has shown himself to be a practical disgrace to Nigeria and has brought shame, disgrace and embarrassment to Nigerians in the global community. Today, Nigeria is now a laughing stock among members of the international community.
“Even in 1993 without the use of technology, Nigeria conducted an election adjudged as the freest and fairest ever. But in an age of advanced technology like internet and BIVAS in 2023, Yakubu chosed to compromise the oath of his office and obviated every truth and betrayed the confidence reposed in him by Nigerian taxpayers.
“Even at that time, the then Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, was asked to stop announcing results by then Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, but he continued because he stood on the platform of truth and living conscience.
“This is why he needs to urgently resign or President Buhari should show capacity to throw him out.”
He called on the academia to strip Prof. Yakubu of his professorship rank because he has brought shame to that highly revered and top echelon of the academic community and scholars.
Yakubu has failed to project the academia in good light through personal probity, integrity and fidelity to his promises and sacred trust of the people
Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, also urged the International Community to review and reverse all his current Visa status.
He enjoined them to do the needful by canceling all visas he presently holds and never give him opportunity to visit any of the developed countries like United States, United Kingdom or any member countries of the European Union.
He said that the election conducted by Yakubu has failed to meet international threshold of transparency and credibility and all friends of Nigeria must of necessity denounce it.
For instance, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard in a statement on Sunday unequivocally stated that it is clear that the electoral process as a whole on February 25 failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations.”
She added that while “many citizens are angry and frustrated with the results, some others are celebrating victories, they believe were hard-fought and well-earned.”
He added: “We also use this opportunity to call on international community especially the US, UK, EU and other international institutions not to recognize the outcome of the rigged and fraudulent elections conducted on February 25, 2023.
“This is the time Nigerians expect the international community to prioritize the interest of Nigeria first before their own interest in order to save our democracy.
“In this wise, they must not recognize the APC’s purported President-elect until the final outcome of the cases in court.”
“We still use this opportunity to call on the judiciary to remove Nigeria from this shame through truthful, fact-based and unbiased judgement on the post election cases soon to be instituted before the Election Petition Tribunals and the appellate courts.”
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