The Centre for Public Accountability CPA, has asked the Senate to ignore what it described as a campaign of calumny against the reappointment of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.
CPA in a statement by its Executive Director, Olufemi Lawson, on Friday noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s reappointment of Prof. Mahmood is a confirmation of his brilliant performance, during his first term, as the Chairman of the commission.
He described those behind the recent media campaign against the INEC boss, as fifth columnists, who have become completely dissatisfied with the achievements of Mahmoud during his first, especially the success of the Commission in ensuring that elections in Nigeria, are no longer business as usual for these corrupt politicians and their puppets, whose only hope of winning elections is through violence and manipulation of voters and election officials.
The group further urged the Senate to stick with the facts of the accomplishments recorded by INEC under Mahmoud, especially as it has helped in deepening our democracy. “We urge the senate to treat as mere cheap blackmail, baseless and parochial, any petition against the confirmation of Prof. Mahmoud for a second term, if at all, there is any.
“Nigerians have come to the realization of the unprecedented reforms being undertaken by INEC, during the first of this patriot, and his reappointment will increase the confidence of Nigerians, in the future reforms aimed at giving Nigerians credible elections, which remains a baseline, for good governance and development, that they yearn for.”
“Ours is a nascent democracy and the National Assembly as one of the fundamental pillars of our democracy, must always be seen, as such that promotes all form of actions, that can further entrench democracy, by not allowing the Assembly, to become an institution that self serving individuals, particularly greedy politicians, can exploit, to advance their greed and selfish ambitions.” the statement concluded.
