INEC: Yoruba group chides southern, middle belt leaders
By A Yoruba group under the aegis of Yoruba Vanguard has berated southern and middle belt leaders in what it called continuous attack on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu.
The group stated that it has over time watched with keen interest the undue attack and continued media vilifications of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. Of recent, is the alarm raised by a group known as the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, Afenifere, Ohaneze, PANDEF and the Middle Belt forum.
The president of the group, Babatunde DosuNmu, explained that latest in the several phases of the orchestrated campaign of calumny against professor Mahmud is the daily misinformation of the public that he was unqualifiedly appointed based on his ethnic nationality and their coward claims of him been used to rig the 2019 general elections thereby distorting history and maligning his personality and integrity built over the years.
“It is worrisome, that group made of of men who are conversant with history, in her attempt to batter the continually rising profile of INEC and it’s leadership have continued to feed the public with concucted information that are clearly contrary to the picture of what really is the fact.
“On the claim of ethnicity, they should be reminiscent that in this same country, under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, the INEC had Dr Abel Goubadiah a Southerner, who was also succeeded by another southerner, Professor Mauris Iwu, as its Chairman. This is a fact. When and how does it become a crime for a qualified Nigerian to be appointed to Head a federal commission on the basis of ethnicity. Nigeria has fast left the tribal bridge that the likes of them still wants it.
“We wish to inform Nigerians, particularly all peace and fact seeking ones that there is no established legal precedent for the campaign of calumny, that the group is currently embarking upon against professor Mahmud particularly when we consider the audacity of the group to allege plans to rig the twenty nineteen election without stating their source.
“We make bold to say, that these people are speaking for a themselves and not the entirety of Nigerians, in what is a clear attempt, to frustrate preparations for a successful 2019 general election.”
Dosunmu also expressed that “We strongly believe that INEC is safe and institutionally immune against influence.
“May we at state that the group’s attack on professor Mahmud is unprovoked, as he is a man of high moral standing, God fearing and who never abuses the privileges he enjoys, despite the abundance of God’s Grace to him.
“Please note that we are currently mobilising all lovers of democracy in our country to stand up to this assault on the foundation of our democracy by your group,” he said.
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