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Kano underage voters: INEC must make probe report public immediately – SLF

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INEC Voters-registrationAhead of 2019 General Elections holding in the country, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SLF) on Sunday demanded from Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the immediate release of its report on the Kano underage voters scandal.

This was just as SLF restated its lack of confidence in the Commission Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, over the way and manner he had handled the scandal which he had promised to investigate but had refused to make the report public months after the exercise had been concluded.

Besides, the leaders demanded that President Muhammadu Buhari should address the gross lopsidedness of appointments into the security architecture of the country goes into election season, querying what special services have the three main security chiefs rendered to the defense system for the president to keep them in office if not that they might be used for partisan roles.

“How would all sections of the country have confidence in the security arrangement for elections when 16 out of 17 service chiefs are from a section of the country? it further queried, declaring: “We demand that the president should reconstitute the security apparatus so as to earn the confidence of all communities in Nigeria,” SLF further queried.

SLF made these demands at a consultative meeting in Lagos, where it again reviewed preparations towards 2019 elections, in furtherance to its press conference which took place in Abuja, a few days ago, declaring that Prof. Yakubu’s conduct over the scandal concerning under age voters in Kano State had shown on his part a gross betrayal of public trust.

The group, in a statement issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Yinka Odumakin on behalf leaders from South West, Senator Bassey Henshaw (South-South), Prof Chigozie Ogbu (South East) and Dr Isuwa Dogo (Middle Belt), also demanded the interrogation of the Voter Register by a Judicial Commission with representatives of international and local elections observers.

According to SLF, which equally demanded the suspension of the INEC boss while the investigation lasted to prevent intervention with the probe, this is to enable the said Judicial Commission check cases of underage voters and foreign mercenaries before the 2019 elections, saying this was very necessary as INEC cannot be a judge in its own cause.

SLF added that the probe should also be extended to the fake INEC results centre discovered in Rivers State last year as well as the printing press fingered in the scandal, which, according to the leaders, had since been swept under the carpet.

“Our Demands, we demand the immediate release of INEC report on the Kano underage voters scandal.

“Interrogation of the Voter Register by a Judicial Commission with representatives of international and local elections observers to check cases of underage voters and foreign mercenaries before the 2019 elections. This is very necessary as INEC cannot be a judge in its own cause.

“The probe should also be extended to the fake INEC results centre discovered in Rivers State last year and the printing press responsible which has since been swept under the carpet. The suspension of the current INEC chair while the investigation is on to prevent intervention with the probe,” SLF demanded.

The Forum, while delivering a no confidence vote on the INEC boss, Prof. Yakubu, said: “We restate our lack of confidence in the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, whose conduct over the scandal of under age voters in Kano has shown a gross betrayal of public trust.”

SLF recalled that Yakubu had at a press conference he addressed in Lagos on 16th February 2018, made clear commitment to the Nigerian public on the Kano incident, assuring the citizens that the matter would be fully investigated by a team led by a national commissioner from INEC.

“Five (5) clear months after the promise and prompt conclusion of the assignment by the team he set up, INEC chairman has refused to release the report which would necessary have necessitated a nationwide interrogation of the Voter Registry,” the Forum lamented.

“Information at our disposal is that the report of the committee is so damning and the reason why he is doing a macabre dance on it. How on earth can we trust a man doing such over an issue of public knowledge to be fair on matters relating to free and fair elections that would not be in the public glare?” it queried.

Speaking further, the group expressed further concern on alleged registration of “Mercenary Voters,” revealing that intelligence report at its disposal indicated that a large number of this set of voters had been registered from neighbouring countries, especially from Niger Republic.

According to the leaders, this worrisome development took place under the guise of “the Continuous Voters Registration exercise,” saying this could have been one of the reasons why the Federal Government was in haste to construct a rail line from Kano, through Dambatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina, Jibia and terminate in Maradi, Niger Republic for which money had been voted in the 2018 Budget.

“Equally worrisome is the intelligence report at our disposal that a large number of mercenary voters have been registered from neighbouring countries especially from Niger Republic under the Continuous Voters Registration exercise which could have been one of the reasons why the FG is in a haste to to construct a rail line from Kano, through Dambatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina, Jibia and terminate in Maradi, Niger Republic. Money has been appropriated for this in the 2018 budget,” it said.

The post Kano underage voters: INEC must make probe report public immediately – SLF appeared first on Tribune.

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