John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Unified Nigeria Youths Forum (UNYF) has condemned recent calls for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, saying those behind the call were sponsored by unpatriotic politicians seeking to manipulate the 2023 general elections at all cost.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, President of the group, Abdulsalam Kazeem, urged Nigerians not to fall for the antics of politicians who are fabricating all sorts of lies against the INEC boss.
He said, the allegations of ghost voters, registration of foreigners and preloaded fake accreditation as insinuated by mischief makers are false and unfounded.
“Those behind this charade are nothing but paid agents and goons of selfish and unpatriotic politicians seeking to manipulate next year’s general elections at all cost,” he said.
The Arewa Citizens Watch for Good Governance, had last week, demanded for the resignation of the INEC Chairman, alleging that he and his team were morally compromised and were deliberately working against the interest of the North to suppress voters in the region.
However, Kazeem dismissed such insinuations, stressing that it is a cheap blackmail against the INEC Chairman.
“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 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,” Kazeem said.
According to him, those who made such allegations were out to tarnish the reputation of INEC.
He said, Nigerians must not fall to such antics especially now that the general elections are at hand, noting that politicians are jittery and will do or say anything to make noise.
The group argued 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.
Kazeem argued that, “The issue of voter registration by INEC is centrally controlled and it is impossible to open the portal for only a particular region.”
He added, “INEC at the behest of Nigerians and the National Assembly extended voter registration severally to enable all Nigerians to register and exercise their franchise.
“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 Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma.
“Nothing can be more misleading and dishonest than this claim especially now that INEC has recently sanitised the voter register with more than two 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?”
The group passed a vote of confidence on the INEC chairman for his good works and called on Nigerians to mobilise and support the commission towards the conducts of 2023 general elections.
