Arewa youths reject demands for INEC chairman’s resignation, urge Atiku, Obi to rethink

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) on Sunday rejected the calls for the resignation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, by opposition parties.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party had last week demanded the resignation of the INEC chairman over alleged irregularities in last month’s presidential and parliamentary elections in the country.

The parties had rejected the INEC declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the winner of the election and vowed to challenge the decision in court.

The AYCF National President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, who addressed journalists in Lagos, said the conspiracy against INEC after the February 25 polls was baseless.

He said: “We have very closely observed INEC and the management of the election process from the period before and after the presidential and National Assembly so far.

“We are convinced that there were forces opposed to the commendable effort of INEC and we are aware there is a deliberate ploy to distract the electoral umpire.

“INEC has given the 2023 elections its best shot by training and retraining election officials and using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) successfully in 90 percent of cases.

“As with elections anywhere in the world, INEC could not have done a perfect job because, in reality, it cannot be completely infallible.”

He noted that those calling for the resignation of Yakubu after the elections planned to destabilise the country.

READ ALSO: INEC chairman warns PDP on smear campaign, charges party to prove fraud allegations in court

Shettima noted that the field performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the outcome of the polls should leave no one in doubt that the commission conducted near-perfect elections.

He urged those crying wolf and alleging manipulation of the elections to rethink.

The AYCF chief added: “Senator Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost the presidential election in his assumed fiefdom of Lagos State where Labour Party won in many areas.

“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party lost his immediate constituency of Adamawa making it clear that the February 25 presidential election was the freest and fairest since 1999.

“It is pointless crying foul where there is none. We call on men and women of good conscience to support efforts by INEC to bequeath a good electoral legacy to the country.

“It is obvious that INEC officials made enormous sacrifices under the current economic and national security challenges to hold successful presidential and National Assembly elections.”

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