‘Replace Taraba INEC officials,’ Ex-Vice President urges commission

monjola sotubo

April 16, 2015 7:32 AM

Atiku added that the officials should be removed and not allowed to conduct the rerun elections, slated to hold on April 25, 2015.

Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar has called for the replacement of security officials and staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who participated in the conduct of the April 11 governorship elections in Taraba State.

The former Vice President made the demand on Wednesday, April 15, via a statement released by the Atiku Media Office.

Atiku also agreed with the decision to declare the elections inconclusive in some areas citing widespread reports of irregularities during the polls.

“These irregularities included using armed personnel to intimidate voters. Elections should not be militarised. Nigeria is a democracy, not a dictatorship. Citizens should be able to go out and vote without fear of being threatened with the nozzle of a gun,” he said.

“These people should not be allowed to go back during the rerun election. No troops should be allowed nearby,” Atiku added.

The governorship election in Taraba was declared inconclusive because the the number of cancelled votes amounted to more than the difference in votes between the two major candidates; Aisha Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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