‘INEC has lost its independence,’ Governor says

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April 8, 2016 10:17 AM

Fayose also criticized INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, over plans to establish an Electoral Offences Tribunal.

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state.

Fayose also criticized INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, over plans to establish an Electoral Offences Tribunal.

The governor made the comments on Thursday, April 7, 2016, via a statement released by his media aide, Lere Olayinka.

It reads:

“INEC under the present dispensation is the number one electoral offender and that electoral reform without INEC neutrality is a mirage.

“Even though the establishment of Electoral Offences Tribunal is not entirely a bad idea, but INEC as presently constituted does not encourage free, fair and violence free election and it should worry Prof. Yakubu that INEC as at today, is being referred to as Inconclusive National Electoral Commission because of the commission’s partisanship.

“During the Rivers State rerun elections that INEC has been unable to conclude, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was missing on result sheets of over 230 polling units and up till now, all what INEC has been able to tell Nigerians was that the criminal omission of PDP in the result sheets was due to printers error. Was that not enough to cause violence

“The day President Buhari interfered with the internal administration of INEC by appointing Madam Amina Zakari, a National Commissioner, as Acting Chairperson of the commission, a title and position unknown to the Constitution, INEC under the Buhari’s APC government lost its independence and its credibility was eroded.

“The reality that INEC itself must therefore face is that members of President Buhari’s party, APC have become so emboldened to unleash violence on Nigerians during elections because they know that the president won’t lift a finger provided his party members are the ones perpetrating evil.

“INEC must therefore seek to regain its lost independence and credibility before talking about punishing electoral offenders because as it is now, INEC is the number one electoral offender and promoter of electoral violence.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier also alleged that INEC was being controlled by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

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