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‘Power to appoint INEC chairman should rest with judiciary,’ Atiku calls for Uwais Report

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Stop rejoicing, tribunal did not deny me access to INEC server, Atiku replies Presidency

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has canvassed for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Electoral Reform Committee (NERC) to avoid election rigging in future.

NERC, which was headed by former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, had among other things recommended that the power to appoint the chairman and board of the nation’s national electoral body be taken away from the President and given to the judiciary.

In a statement he signed himself on Monday and made available to newsmen, Atiku argued that the outcome of 2019 elections, which he said fell below the benchmark recorded in 2015 in terms of credibility, makes implementation of Uwais report necessary.

He said, “One way of addressing the lapses is to implement the salient recommendations of the National Electoral Reform Committee (NERC) headed by former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais.

“The second is the creation of Electoral Crimes Commission.

“One of such recommendations, which will enhance the independence of the supposedly Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is the recommendation that the power to appoint the Chairman and board of the INEC be taken away from the President and given to the judiciary.

“Our electoral system needs not just to be brought up to date, by the acceptance of the amendments to the Electoral Act passed by the eight National Assembly, we also need to be up to tomorrow, by taking steps today to ensure that the lapses that made it possible for the 2019 elections to be manipulated or rigged are addressed.

“Of all three arms of government, the Judiciary is the least affected by elections, meaning that it has the highest objectivity in matters relating to the INEC. It is therefore in the best position of the three arms, to appoint a chairman and board members for the electoral body that are impartial, competent and patriotic.

“This recommendation may seem like a small change, but my experience in life has taught me never to underestimate the big difference small changes can make.

“Nigeria today faces a lot of challenges, chief of which are security and economic revival. To effectively tackle these problems, a government must have an honest and indisputable mandate.

READ ALSO: ELECTION TRIBUNAL: INEC refuses to call witnesses, insists Atiku’s witnesses support its claims

“Where you have an administration whose mandate is considered tainted, such a government will lack sufficient moral authority to tackle the myriad of problems this great nation currently faces.”

Atiku is currently challenging President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) emergence as the winner of the 2019 presidential election at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

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