A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba has demanded the removal of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmoud Yakubu by President Bola Tinubu.
The former President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in a statement by his Media Assistant, Niyi Odunmorayo
on Thursday, said the 61-year-old INEC boss must leave office by resignation or removal, otherwise the electoral reform task in Nigeria will be impeded.
Agbakoba congratulated Tinubu for suspending Godwin Emefiele as the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); and AbdulRasheed Bawa as the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and fuel subsidy removal
However, the senior lawyers said, “Next is for the president to dismantle INEC. Everyone will agree that logistically, the 2023 elections are the worst in our history. I do not refer to the merits of the results of the elections. Many results are disputed and are in Tribunals. Both petitioners and respondents suffered at the hands of an incompetent INEC.
“As we await rulings from the courts massive reforms of the electoral framework ought to begin but this means that the INEC Chairman will have to leave office by resignation or removal, otherwise the reform task will be impeded.
“I add very quickly that the suggested reforms have nothing to do with the merits of election results at all. Both winners and losers of the elections were victims of the failure of INEC. Confidence in Nigeria’s democracy will be enhanced by a deep cleansing of INEC.”
