Skip to main content

Opposition parties raise alarm over attempt to sack INEC Chairman


Oredola Adeola |

The opposition parties have raised alarm over alleged plan by President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and appoint Amina Zakari as Acting Chairman under the guise of INEC inability to conduct the earlier scheduled Presidential election bill for Saturday, February 16.



Mr. Ikenga Ugochinyere , 1st National spokesperson of the The Coalition of United Political Parties(CUPP) made this known in a statement released on Saturday. According to him, President Buhari wants to sack INEC Chairman for refusing to conduct staggered election on Saturday. He also alleged that the Presidency actually  sabotaged INEC distribution of materials and turned back to condemn INEC.

The statement said, “The CUPP is alerting the world of plan and decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to announce the suspension of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, from office. The President has also pencilled down Amina Zakari for appointment as the Acting Chairman citing her experience as the oldest and most experienced National Commissioner of the Commission.

“The President is planning to use the excuse of inability to hold election today as a reason for the imminent suspension. Feigning ignorance of the real reasons behind the shift, the President in his earlier statement today did not have just a word for the shameful and despicable actions of security forces and the central Bank staff who in obedience to Presidency directives deliberately sabotaged the distribution of sensitive materials in selected states.

“We are aware that his hurried return to Abuja today from his home state, Katsina is to sack the INEC boss. But this should be resisted by all well meaning Nigerians and the international community.

“The sin of the INEC Chairman is that he refused to conduct staggered elections that will allow the President and his men to manipulate the process. The Presidency had mounted pressure on the Commission to conduct election today in states where there were no issues and postpone only the states with materials distribution issues.

" The INEC Chairman insisted on conducting the election at the same time hence warranting the postponement of the entire election," the statement said.

CUPP however charged President Buhari that the INEC Chairman  cannot be removed from office via suspension, quoting the 1999 Constitution in Section 157(1) , which states that the Chairman and members of the Commission may only be removed by the President acting on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate that the person be removed for inability to discharge the functions of the office (whether arising from infirmity of Mind or body or any other cause) or for misconduct

The Coalition also revealed that it was aware that the government itself sabotaged INEC distribution of materials and he is turning around to suspend the Chairman of INEC illegally.

The parties warned that any attempt to sack or suspend the INEC Chairman will only lead to electoral and constitutional crisis, noting that the nation is still grappling with the illegality and unconstitutionality of the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President wants to go down this ignoble path again.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MMA is a disgrace to Nigeria, the designer is a traitor – Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin writes VP Osinbajo

Oredola Adeola|  Movie and Documentary producer, Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin Dudu, has exposed the level of rot at the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Lagos in an open letter written to Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President. In the letter, the Documentary photographer, disclosed that the arrival system in Muritala Muhammed airport is a disgrace to Nigeria. He particularly noted that Nigeria has no aviation Minister, adding that whosoever designed the arrival system in MMA is a traitor. Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin He said, “Sir I’m directing my comments to you because I’m aware you toured that airport before the elections. They showed you the glittering lounges . However when you arrive in Nigeria or you go to receive someone arriving, it’s a horror story. It’s a total disgrace. Let me explain. “I had cause to go and welcome someone coming in from the US. We parked in the designated car park. Then the obstacles started. The path you have to trek to get to the front of the arrival hal...
1 comment
Read more

2019 Hajj: Six Nigerian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia

A middle aged woman, pilgrim from Lagos State, slumped and died in the early hours of Sunday morning in Mecca during the devil stoning ritual at Jamarat Aqaba, outside Mina, thereby bringing the number of Nigerian pilgrims that have died in this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia to six(6). The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria confirmed the death of the Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia . Dr Ibrahim Kana , Chairman, National Medical Team, released the figure in Madinah from the commission ’s National Medical Team Electronic Health Medical Records. The Commission had earlier said, “ So far , Nigeria has lost six pilgrims including four females and two males ; out of which one died in Madina while the remaining four died in the city of Makkah. “ They all died of various illnesses including heart and lung diseases. “ Records shows that so far in both Makkah and Madina , we have made 10,485 diagnoses with Makkah accounting for over 60 per cent. “ Additionally , 108 referrals wer...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ajaokuta Steel plant up for sale again!

Oredola Adeola| The Federal Government through its ongoing privatisation programme has put Ajaokuta Steel Company up for sale. This was confirmed by Godwin Emefiele, Central Bank of Nigeria, Governor while briefing the Nigerian delegation at the end of the International Monetary Fund/ World Bank Group meetings in Bali, Indonesia on Sunday. The CBN Governor disclosed that the privatisation programme is coordinated by the National Council on Privatisation, while the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) will be conducting a total review of the process of privatisation and payment for the steel industry to pave way for investors. He further stated that some of the country’s assets have been up for sale, under the ongoing privatisation programme, with the aim of raising more funds to finance the 2018 deficit-based budget.  Recall that work commenced on the steel plant in 1979 and over $10 billion is estimated to have been spent on it so far. A recent audit report revealed that...
1 comment
Read more