Federal government is wedging a plan to capture the Independent National Commission (INEC) in other to influence their operations and the outcome of the 2023 elections.
This was disclosed by the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, on Monday on live television program on Channels TV` Politics Today, monitored by Clariform.
The YIAGA Africa boss predicated his comment on the new Residential Electoral Commissioners nominees sent to the National Assembly for confirmation.
Samson Itodo faulted the nominations made by President Muhammadu Buhari, which investigations have revealed that some of the nominees are said be active members of political parties before the nomination.
While speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the YIAGA Africa boss raised the alert that following this partisan nomination, the federal government is attempting to capture the electoral umpire ahead of the 2023 election, so as to influence the outcome as the government wish.
NOTABLE QUOTE
The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, on Monday on the live television program said, “Nigerians need to know that there is an attempt to capture INEC,” he said. “And this is not the first time. It started with an attempt to appoint Lauretta Onochie.”
“We are 179 days to the elections; RECs have not been confirmed. And you’ve now appointed people who have partisan leanings,” he added.
Speaking further he said, “The Senate needs to rise the occasion by rejecting these nominees and ask the President to re-nominate. It (the nominations) is an aberration of the constitution.”
“Some of the nominees of the President fail the constitutional test of non-partisanship and unquestionable integrity,” the CSOs said in a statement.
“Evidence abounds that some of the nominees are either partisan, politically aligned, or previously indicted for corruption.
“To mention a few, Prof. Muhammad Lawal Bashir from Sokoto was a Governorship aspirant under the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2015 elections cycle.
“Mrs. Sylvia Uchenna Agu, the nominee for Enugu state, is believed to be the younger sister of the APC Deputy National Chairman, Southeast,” the statement reads.
“The nominee for Imo State, Mrs. Pauline Onyeka Ugochi, a former Head of ICT at INEC in Imo state, gained notoriety for alleged corruption and connivance with politicians to undermine elections.
“Mrs. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, a former Accountant-General of the Ebonyi, was suspended allegedly on the grounds of incompetence and corruption in 2016.
“We contend that the appointment of these individuals as RECs will significantly undermine the neutrality and impartiality of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and it will increase mistrust in INEC and Nigeria’s electoral process.
“By the combined effect of Section 156 (1)(a) and Third Schedule, Part 1, Item F, paragraph 14 (1), these individuals are constitutionally prohibited from any appointment as members of INEC.”
CATCH-UP
President Muhammadu Buhari had in July sent to the National Assembly the names of 19 Residential Electoral Commissioner nominees for confirmation.
This nomination was red flagged by some civil society organisations, including YIAGA Africa, which protested that most of the nominees were active political party members.
Particularly, Samson Itodo, had said that some of those nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari have partisan leanings, and Clariform have learnt that most of these nominees are members of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
