The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Usman Baba,
inspector-general of police and Yusuf Bichi, director-general of the Department
of State Services (DSS), to “immediately” investigate Mahmood Yakubu, chairman
of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged electoral
offences.
Addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, Debo
Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said Yakubu should be investigated and prosecuted
for allegedly breaching provisions of the 2022 electoral act in the conduct of
the presidential election.
The opposition party also reiterated its earlier demand for
the resignation of Yakubu.
The PDP claimed that the plan by INEC to reconfigure the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) devices for the governorship election is a “scheme to erase and destroy evidence of its manipulation of the presidential election, deny Nigerians and political parties, especially our party and candidate access to relevant information required to prosecute our case at the presidential election tribunal”.
“From all indications, the INEC under Mahmood Yakubu was
compromised to rig the election by brazenly violating the provisions of the
Electoral Act, 2022,” Ologunagba said.
“By flagrantly violating these provisions of the Electoral
Act, 2022 as well as INEC’s regulations, guidelines and Manual for the
election, Mahmood Yakubu is not only culpable of serious electoral offence but
also betrayed, thrashed and threw overboard the trust, confidence and hope
Nigerians reposed in him and the electoral commission to deliver a free, fair
and credible election in the country.
“The continuing stay of Mahmood Yakubu in office as chairman
of INEC is, therefore, vexatious, injurious to the integrity of the electoral
commission and an unpardonable assault to the credibility of our electoral
process, the sensibility of Nigerians and the international community.
“Moreover, Mahmood Yakubu’s stay in office is capable of
paving the way for the suppression, tampering and destruction of critical
evidence required to further expose the infractions and violations by the
Commission at the Presidential Election Tribunal.
“This fear is evidenced by the desperation of INEC to
reconfigure the BVAS devices to erase vital data contained therein.
“Consequently, the PDP demands that the chairman of INEC
Mahmood Yakubu immediately step down from office, having abused the confidence
and dashed the hope of millions of Nigerians as well as political parties and
the International Community for a free, fair and credible election.
“Nigerians no longer have faith in Mahmood Yakubu’s capacity
and integrity to manage a democratic institution as sensitive as INEC.
“Mahmood Yakubu’s exit as chairman of INEC will be the first
step towards sanitising the electoral commission and restoring the confidence
of Nigerians especially as the nation prepares for the rescheduled March 18,
2023 governorship and state assembly elections.
“Furthermore, the PDP demands that the inspector general of
police and the director-general of the DSS immediately commence investigations
into the electoral violations and manipulations by INEC with the view to
prosecuting Mahmood Yakubu and other officials of the commission for electoral
offences.
“In the same vein, the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) should open an investigation into allegations that certain
top officials of INEC were heavily compromised financially to manipulate the
electoral process.”
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