PRESS STATEMENT THE INEC CHAIRMAN IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM, FOCUS ON CONVINCING VOTERS

 The attention of the Citizens Centre for Democratic Governance has been drawn to the statement credited to the PDP, where the party called for the immediate removal of the INEC Chairman and the resignation of Amina Zakari a National Commissioner, alleging that the Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubuwas involved in what the PDP described as “fraudulent manipulations” of the September 22, 2018 Osun state Gubernatorial election.

Recall that the September 22, 2018 Osun Gubernatorial election was declared inconclusive because the margin of winning by the PDP was less than the number of votes in the cancelled areas. Haven met the other criteria for winning, the two leading political parties require just a simple majority and it would have been injustice on the part of INEC to declare such a tightly contested election as conclusive, in spite of the current realities on ground just because it doesn’t want to be labelled as biased.

The PDP is calling to be declared as winner with a margin of about 353 votes. Meanwhile, the total vote possible in the election cancelled area is about 3,498. This is clearly 3,145 votes, more than the present winning margin with the prospects to swing to any direction. Also, the allegation of reducing votes from the PDP inAyedaade Local Government Area which was raised at the collation Centre by a PDP agent was addressed and further agreed to be an error, hence, the need for the 1000 vote reversal. The records are there and the PDP should have also proven just like Ayedaade, the other cases of vote slashing that summed up to 4,387.

Furthermore, the claim by the PDP that INEC has increase the numbers of prospective voters in the election cancelled area by 850 is evil, unfounded and a completely unnecessary lie that should be condemned, because the supplementary election is going to be as open to everyone as the main election and will have no hidden agenda. The PDP has a lot of convincing job to do in Osun state and they should better focus on that than make unsubstantiated claims that are capable of sending out wrong signals. Albeit, allhands will be on deck to ensure that the right thing is done by all parties on the 27th of September 2018. 

While the PDP might be correct to call for the resignation of Amina Zakari an INEC National Commissioner and a niece of the president ahead of the 2019 presidential election because of the family ties between them, the INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood has done nothing but being disposed firmly to his job and it will be sad and unappreciative for the PDP to call for his removal in spite of the many elections that the PDP has won under his Chairmanship. For instance, the Senatorial election that ushered in Sen. AdemolaAdeleke is a product of his steadfast leadership.

​Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is doing a great job, so PDP should let him be. INEC is always ready to work and with the present result that we have all seen, INEC has proven that its will do all within its best to ensure a free, fair and credible Osun Gubernatorial election. The 2019 General elections will be handled with utmost importance and only the will of the people will manifest.

Anthony Osagbemi

Coordinator CCDG Nigeria.