2023 Polls: Rising Demand For Arrest, Probe Of INEC Chairman

From all indications, the dust raised by the manner the Independent National Electoral Commission (INingEC) handled the recent elections in Nigeria is not settling any time soon as protesters in Abuja are demanding the sack and prosecution of its chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.

This is more so as incriminating evidence against the INEC boss keeps popping up by the day.

The Abia State Presiding Officer in Abia State, Prof. Nnenna Oti, VC, FUTO Owerri, recently revealed an unprintable account of how the INEC boss issued electoral instructions that were anti-people, of which she openly vowed never to be part.

With this turn of events, the last is yet to be heard of the controversy that trailed the conduct of the general elections as scores of protesters have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Yakubu. 

The protesters under the aegis of the National Youth League for the Defence of Democracy (NYLDD) also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the INEC chairman by the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS).

Led by Dr Moses Paul, the protesters who converged at the Abuja unity fountain to express their grievances also called for a probe of the finances of the electoral empire. Inscriptions on some of the placards brandished by the protesters read: “Voter suppression is a crime”, “Nigeria is not for sale”, “INEC keep your promise”, “Fraudulent election cannot produce a credible leader”, “Nigeria is not a zoo”, “Why can’t we have credible elections”.

The group justified the need for an interim government arguing it was aimed at ensuring the appointment of a new INEC chairman and the conduct of a free and fair election in the country. 

“We are citizens of Nigeria, lovers of Nigeria, standing on the part of our constitution and citizens’ rights, we are here particularly to address the greatest crime that has happened in the history of the world and in Nigeria.

“People were burnt in Kano, people were shot in Rivers, we have seen the greatest inhumanity happen in Lagos state in the course of this election.

“Two demands we are making; we are asking the President of this country to arrest immediately and prosecute the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who has committed the greatest fraud in the history of humanity, we need him arrested and be prosecuted.

“Our number two demand is that we are asking for an interim government to be put in place.

“We are saying that because we do not want President Muhammadu Buhari to continue, his tenure is ending, so as a father he should put in place an interim government so that the interim government will now appoint another INEC chairman who will conduct a free and credible election and produce a befitting President for our country”, they said.