Communications minister, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, on Monday warned that the call for the resignation of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, by the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole is unfair, unacceptable and may jeopardise conduct of this weekend’s election.
Nigerian Tribune quoted Shittu as saying that if the chairman of the umpire resigns, it may affect the conduct of the rescheduled general elections on Saturday.
Shittu, who spoke with reporters at his Ibadan residence on the rescheduling of the general elections, urged Nigerians to give the INEC chairman a benefit of doubt.
He noted that even if the INEC chairman resigns, the election may need to be postponed for the new incoming chairman to prepare well for fresh elections.
He said, “when Oshiomhole supervised a horrible primaries elections of the party, who called for his resignation?”
He said:”I will not support such call for resignation of the INEC chairman. To err is human. We have not seen any political motivation as to what has happened in INEC. If Oshiomhole calls for the resignation of the INEC chairman, he should also be preparing to resign as chairman. Did anybody ask him to resign for the horrible management of primary elections under his watch?
“This is the first election that professor Yakubu will be conducting, so we need to give him the benefit of doubt and I will advise that all the political parties be vigilant. If you bring in another chairman, when does such person begin to learn the process? Or will you on the bases of that call for another rescheduling of the elections?
“Certainly, it is unacceptable for anyone to ask for the resignation of INEC chairman,” he said.
