Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says he has passed the stage
where he can be intimidated.
In a chat with The Interview,
Yakubu vowed not to bow to pressure.
He said this in light of concerns
about voter registration and accusations by politicians that INEC could not be
trusted to conduct free and fair elections.
Recently, Nyesom Wike, governor
of Rivers state, said the report of under-age voting in Kano had damaged
confidence in INEC.
But Yakubu said both the ruling
All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have
been making uncomplimentary comments about the commission.
“I have passed the stage where
someone can intimidate me to do what is wrong,” he said.
“I have passed that stage, where
I can be intimidated, with due respect. And the real test is in what we have
done (178 ‘mini’ elections) so far. The most interesting thing for me is that
both parties accuse us equally. So, that means we are doing something right.”
He also said he had never faced
any pressure from the presidency, or any other quarters, to bend the rules.
Yakubu said poorly conducted
elections are a recipe for disaster, adding that INEC under him would not take
Nigeria to such path.
“We know that poorly conducted
elections are a recipe for disaster… we will never tread that path,” he said.
On the Kano underage voting, the
INEC chairman said, “These are elections that are not the legal and
constitutional responsibilities of INEC. There are legal entities that conduct
local and government elections in this country.
“So, on what basis are we going
to prosecute electoral offenders in an election in which INEC is not legally
responsible for?”
Reminded that potential abuse of
INEC’s register was enough basis for prosecution, he said, the argument could
also be stretched to other agencies involved in the process, including the
police.
The interview also covered the
delayed primaries in the ruling All Progressives Congress, the role of security
services, including the use of the army in past elections, and whether or not Yakubu
will vote in 2019.
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