2019: Plot to rig reason Buhari refusing to sign Electoral Act 2018 —Timi Frank

All Progressives Congress (APC) former deputy national publicity secretary, Timi Frank, has alleged that a plot to rig the 2019 election is part of the reason President Muhammadu Buhari is refusing to sign the amended Electoral Bill 2018.

He has therefore called on the National Peace Committee headed by former Head of State, retired Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, to prevail on Buhari to sign into law the Electoral Act.

He made same call on the United Nations (UN), United States of America (USA), European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU).

Frank asked them to compel Buhari to sign the Electoral Act in order to demonstrate to the world his real commitment to peaceful elections in 2019.

Frank stated this in a statement on Monday, explaining that the new Electoral Act will aside ensuring a free, fair and credible election, also assist in reducing to the minimum level cases of electoral fraud and violence.

He recalled how the Gen. Abubakar-led committee did a very good job in 2015 and said for 2019 elections to be peaceful, the committee must also get the Police leadership and INEC to be neutral.

He regretted that all the recent elections conducted under the current Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Mahmood Yakub, were not free and fair.

“If Mr President does not have any hidden agenda, regarding the 2019 election, why is he playing lip service to guaranteeing a peaceful election, but refusing also to signing the Electoral Bill which has been amended to his taste?

“Again, this is to inform the security agencies and INEC that any attempt to rig the will of the people in the coming polls will be resisted by Nigerians,” he said.

On recent elections conducted by INEC he argued, “even in known opposition strongholds, APC used force and coercion to suppress the will of the people.

“Our experiences recently in Ekiti, Osun and the recent Kwara state bye elections, by the current INEC leadership, has left no one in doubt about the neutrality and sincerity in delivering a free, fair and credible elections in 2019.”

He added, “As it is now, opposition has lost confidence in the current leadership of INEC, Police and other security agencies because of their political affiliation with the APC, and as evident with their partisanship at the launch of President Buhari’s Next Level campaign recently.

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“For President Buhari to show that he is committed to a peaceful election, the President must be committed to signing the 2018 Electoral Act as amended into law.

“The opposition is ready to accept defeat should they lose under a transparent free, fair and credible elections strengthened by extant laws, and not under a bizarre situation where the ruling party, INEC and the police are perceived by their actions and inactions, conniving for a common purpose to rig.

“I’m also using this opportunity to call on the United Nations, United State of America, European Union and African Union, to lend their voices to compel President Buhari to sign the Electoral Act 2018 as amended into law, proving to the world that he is committed to a peaceful elections in 2019.”

Frank has since apologised to Nigerians for being part of the people that helped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Buhari to come to power in 2015.

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