‘INEC’s handling of underage voters’ incidence amounts to gross betrayal of trust’
For his weak response to recent incidence of underage voting at the just concluded Kano State Local Government elections and what happened in some northern states during 2015 elections, the consortium of Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Forum has called for suspension of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu.
A four-point communiqué titled: ‘Our Case Against 2019 Elections Preparations’, issued after its meeting in Lagos this week, the group argued that the handling of the matter with levity by INEC hierarchy has shown gross betrayal of public trust and possible reoccurrence under his watch come 2019 general elections.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi dismissed the allegation, saying “It was not only that the commission released the report, it also called a press conference in Abuja where the chairman addressed the media and the public on its findings about the Kano incidence”.
But the communiqué signed by Mr. Yinka Odumakin of Southwest; Senator Bassey Henshaw of South South; Prof. Chigozie Ogbu of Southeast and Dr Isuwa Dogo of Middle Belt after its meeting Lagos, accused Yakubu of reneging his promise to fully investigate the Kano State under age voters’ incidence.
INEC chairman promised during a conference organised by the INEC in Lagos on February 16 2018 that the underage voters’ incidence in Kano State would be fully investigated.
The forum observed that five months after Yakubu’s commitment and prompt conclusion of the assignment by the team set up, INEC has refused to release the report which would necessary have necessitated a nationwide interrogation of the Voter Register.
The forum said information at its disposal is that the report of the committee is so damning and the reason why he (Yakubu) is doing a macabre dance on it.
Besides, the Southern and Middle Belt leaders also expressed worry that intelligence report at its disposal was that a large number of mercenary voters have been registered from neighboring countries especially from Niger Republic under the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise, which could have been one of the reasons why the Federal Government is in a haste to construct a rail line from Kano, through Dambatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina, Jibia and terminate in Maradi, Niger Republic, saying that money has already been appropriated for this in the 2018 budget.
Key submission of the forum include “immediate release of INEC report on the Kano underage voters scandal, interrogation of the Voter Register by a Judicial Commission with representatives international and local elections observers to check cases of underage voters and foreign mercenaries before the 2019 elections, saying this is very necessary as INEC cannot be a judge in its own cause”.
