Use re-appointment to redeem INEC’s image, PDP counsels Yakubu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has counselled the reappointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to use the reappointment to redeem the image of the electoral body.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday reacting to his successful screening in the Senate, the main opposition party also urged him to go to Ghana and United States and take a study from their electoral bodies on how to conduct a free, fair, transparent and credible general election.

Signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, the statement urged Prof. Yakubu to pursue an amendment to the electoral act to make it mandatory for INEC to publish voter register online, thus terminating the doctoring of the register and accreditation process.

“It is, therefore, instructive to restate that with the new appointment, Prof Yakubu has been given an ample time and opportunity to redeem the image of the commission and give our nation a credible election that will be devoid of the failures, disappointments, miscarriages and litigations that characterized his first five years tenure,” it said.

The PDP restated its counsel to Prof. Yakubu not to recourse to excuses but to use them more than two years ahead of the 2023 general election to rejig our electoral commission and work out legislations and operational rules that will guarantee a free, credible and all-inclusive electoral process.

The party charged the INEC boss  to learn from the Ghana electoral commission, “which is making more room for a more all-inclusive electoral process by the kick-starting special voting system to enable personnel of critical service providers cast their ballots days ahead of the December 7, election date.”

The PDP also advised the INEC Chairman to study how the United States credibly conducted a keenly contested 2020 Presidential election without recourse to government influence and use of a security to suppress the wishes of citizens as expressed at the polling units.

The PDP urged the INEC Chairman to engage political stakeholders for legislations, rules and field procedures, so as to curb violence, ensure the security of electoral materials and guarantee the safety of voters.

It added: “The INEC Chairman should initiate processes and procedures that will guarantee prompt arrival of ballot materials, rapid accreditation and voting; the instant transmission of results from polling units as well as seamless collation of figures.

“Our party demands Prof. Yakubu to improve on legislation that restricts the involvement of security agencies in voting and collation processes, check underage and alien voters, vote-buying, alteration of results and manipulation of the voter register. “

The PDP urged the reappointed INEC Chairman to note that the 2023 general election will hugely impact on the fate of over 200 million Nigerians, saying: “As such, he must ensure that the nation does not go down in his hands.”

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