ELECTIONS RESULTS: Bauchi APC demands removal of INEC REC, for allegedly breaching electoral act

Bauchi State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it is dissatisfied with the performance of the State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of the presidential and NASS elections.

The APC therefore called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmud Yakubu to as a matter of urgency, redeploy the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Nura Mohammed and the Administrative Secretary.

APC made the demand while briefing Journalists on the conduct of the 2023 presidential and NASS elections held in the state last Saturday.

According to the APC, “Having lost confidence in the management team of INEC in Bauchi State, we unconditionally demand for immediate redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bauchi State and the Administrative Secretary of the Commission to ensure transparency and safeguard the sanctity of the electoral process.”

The APC further stated that,”We unconditionally demand INEC to immediately disengage all of the illegal Presiding Officers and replace them with the genuinely trained Youth Corps members in line with the terms contained in the MOU between INEC and NYSC.”

It added that, “We unconditionally demand that INEC must ensure that all of its ad-hoc staff are sufficiently trained before the next election of March, 11, 2023 to avoid the occurrence of unnecessary and deliberate irregularities capable of undermining the sanctity of the election process.”

While reading text of the briefing on behalf of the State Chairman of the APC, Hon. Babayo Aliyu Misau, the State Legal Adviser, stated that, “As you are all aware, the Presidential and National Assembly Elections were conducted across the federation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in tandem with the approved Guidelines and Timetable for the 2023 General Elections.

“We must commend INEC for keeping to its pledge to conduct the exercise as scheduled against all odds and apparent challenges. We further commend all stakeholders in the entire electoral process notably, the security operatives, civil society organizations, international observer groups, the media and most importantly the electorates who massively voted for our next President (Insha Allah), Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded elections,” he stated.

The APC added that,”We in APC, have always maintained the firm view of the electorates that elections must be free, fair, credible and in line with the international best practices. From the results so far released, it is obvious that the electorates in Bauchi State have confidence in our great Party. APC which created panic in the ruling PDP in the State.”

Read also:Protests at INEC National Collation Centre over transmission of elections results (Pics)

According to the Chairman,”However, we must condemn in totality, the cunning move made by the PDP Government in Bauchi State to compromise the security and INEC ad-hoc electoral officers in most of the Polling Units across the State.”

The APC explained that “For instance, under the INEC guidelines for the 2023 General Elections, ad-hoc Staff are required to be effectively trained on how to operate the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) device and to as well, preside over elections at polling units.”

He claimed that, “We have witnessed in some Local Governments Areas of Bauchi State where the INEC trained ad-hoc staff were replaced with certain card- carrying members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who apparently manipulated the election process in favour of their party.

“Thus, they have, in some Polling Units, illegally cancelled the Elections in APC controlled polling Units caused deliberate malfunctioning of the BVAS machines, mutilated sensitive election materials, etc. We strongly condemn the PDP interference in that regard and shall take up the matter appropriately.”

The APC added that, “It is worthy of note that under a Memorandum of Understanding subscribed between INEC and NYSC, all Presiding Officers at Polling Units must compose of Youth Corps members. The corps members earmarked for the exercise in Bauchi State fell short of the number of Polling Units we have in the State.”

It added that,”For instance, in the NYSC CD Group namely, Legal Aid with over Seventy trained Corps members for the exercise, only one person was actually engaged leaving out about 69, even as the Corps members were not enough to satisfy the required manpower. This is one out of several other cases witnessed across the state.”

The APC stated that,”It is obvious that such action is a sinister play between the ruling party, PDP and some unpatriotic officials of INEC whose motive is targeted at creating a space that was subsequently filled by card-carrying members of the PDP in flagrant violation of Section 141 of the Electoral Act, 2022 which provides that under no circumstances should any Electoral Official (ad-hoc or otherwise) be a member of any political party.”

It further stated that,”It is obvious that the act of replacing the youth corps members with card-carrying members of the PDP has severely affected the transparency with which the exercise was desired to be conducted.”

“Further still, we have seen instances where the PDP Government in Bauchi State used its machineries and traditional uiers to threaten the beneficiaries of conditional cash transfer programmes by seizing their Beneficiary Cards until they vote for PDP Candidates against their wishes, otherwise they risk losing their status as beneficiaries”.

The APC also alleged that, “The PDP has also threatened ot, her Federal Government beneficiaries of similar programmes like the N-Power, Trader- Money, Food Vendors etc. to vote for its candidates or seize to be such beneficiaries. This act of compelling electorates is grievous and against the fundamental rights, freedom and franchise of Nigerian Citizens.”

By Yemi Kanji

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