By Emmanuel OGBECHE
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has warned certain special interests to count its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, out of the 2023 presidential race.
In a statement on Sunday, May 8, 2022 the commission said such proposition was preposterous and “it will never happen.”
Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, in the statement titled: CALLS ON THE INEC CHAIRMAN TO JOIN THE RACE FOR THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION,” said, “Our attention has been drawn to innuendoes in certain quarters that Nigerians should not be surprised if the INEC Chairman joins the Presidential race or urging him to do so. It is a preposterous proposition. It will not happen.
“The Chairman remains an umpire committed to free, fair and credible elections. His constitutional responsibilities as the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation and Returning Officer for the presidential election are onerous enough for him to even contemplate straying into extraneous matters at variance with the law, morality and his personal principles.”
He further stated that “the chairman will continue to discharge his responsibilities without affection for, or ill will against, any political party or candidate.”
In the past few days, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has been under attack over the purchase of the N100million APC presidential nomination form by three interest groups for him to join the presidential race.
While Emefiele has said he was yet to decide on the 2023 race, several individuals and groups have continued to call for his resignation or removal from office by President Muhammadu Buhari.
One of those who has called for Emefiele’s resignation is Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, himself a presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP.
Tambuwal made the call on Saturday, in Jalingo, shortly after interacting with the party delegates ahead of PDP presidential primaries.
The governor said that Mr Emefiele’s continued stay in office, after openly identifying himself with a political party, should not be encouraged.
Also, a former Minister of Education and Managing Director at the World Bank, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, called on the CBN governor to resign and stop embarrassing Nigeria.
“I just read your waffling neither-here-nor-there tweet reacting to news of your payment of N100M for the APC Nomination form for 2023 Presidential election,” Mrs Ezekwesili tweeted.
“Seems you did not read what the APC Spokesperson said to @Bloomberg. Resign. Stop embarrassing the country. Stop.”
