The Nigerian Youth Network for Good Governance and Sustainable Democracy (NYNGGSD) has slammed the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) for calling for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
CNPP had issued a 14 day ultimatum to Yakubu to resign or face forceful removal for not deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the 2023 General Election.
But the youth group described the excuses for the call as ridiculous and suspicious.
In a statement by its Board Chairman, Mr. Constantine Ikechukwu, the group also refuted CNPP’s claim that INEC did not deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the 2023 General Election.
Besides, Ikechukwu said that it was unfortunate for CNPP to lay an allegation upon a matter which is before the court.
NYNGGSD’s statement reads in part, the CNPP is displaying bitterness and disappointment over the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
He believes that they should accept the result in the spirit of sportsmanship and let the Tribunal do its work. Instead, they are engaging in mudslinging and preparing for an attack on the judiciary if the outcome of the case does not go their way.
Ikechukwu maintained that INEC complied with electoral laws and challenges those accusing Prof Yakubu to point out where he failed to comply. He encouraged those with grievances to familiarize themselves with the Constitution and Electoral Act for better understanding of how elections should be conducted.
The statement reads in part: “It is unfortunate that the CNPP could, at this time, descend to the low level of distorting facts about how the 2023 General Election was conducted and tell bare faced lies that the BVAS was not used. Everyone, including Civil Society use Organisations, local and international observers have acknowledged that the BVAS played a significantly credible role during the election, by preventing voting by proxy and preserving the accredited voters’ data.
“On the CNPP allegation that the INEC Chairman constituted himself into an obstruction to justice” in the ongoing hearing at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), Ikechukwu said it was preposterous for an association that claims to be a “Conference of Political Parties” to openly disregard the rule of law and delve into a legal matter that is already being adjudicated at the PEPT.
“INEC announced the result of the 2023 Presidential Election and the political parties that disagreed with the outcome have filed their petitions which are now being heard by the Justices. Every self-respecting individual or group that understands the position of the law will not delve into matters contained in the petition that are before their Lords, the Justices, because it is sub-judice. In any case, why is the CNPP crying more than the bereaved? “The only umbrella body of the registered political parties in Nigeria is the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which has not issued any threat to INEC or any of its principal officers over the case at the Tribunal? The CNPP has an interest in the case and is clearly supporting a political party while pretending to be neutral.
“The masterminds of the CNPP hatchet job missed all the points, muddled all the facts, displayed a lot of ignorance and are looking for evidence by crooked means just to smear the reputation of the INEC Chairman.
“Unfortunately, when they could not get authentic facts, they decided to concoct one. The BVAS is an INEC invention, designed by the Commission’s engineers and fabricated abroad. Every kobo spent by the Commission was approved and appropriated by the National Assembly. The Commission is not a one-man show where an individual decides on what to buy, where to buy it and how much to spend.
“The Procurement Act outlines specific provisions that must be followed. The Commission developed a comprehensive Election Project Plan, which includes all the costs associated with the 2023 General Election.
“The plan is publicly accessible, and several sub-committees of the Senate and House of Representatives have meticulously reviewed the General Election Budget before approving it.
“Whenever called upon to do so, the INEC Chairman and National Commissioners have appeared before the legislators to defend the budget. As such, the CNPP’s libellous allegations are unnecessary and should be discontinued to avoid further embarrassment.”
