THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others with legal action over baseless and defamatory claims leveled against it and its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to INEC Chairman, issued the warning yesterday night in Abuja.
The PDP had already accused Prof. Yakubu of manipulating the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, adding that the INEC leader is also planning to rig the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections, beginning with the reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
But, Oyekanmi believes the PDP’s new request for Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s resignation as INEC Chairman, as it did previously, is misguided.
“Interestingly, the PDP did not provide any convincing evidence to back up all the spurious allegations it listed as Prof. Yakubu’s ‘infractions’.
“To be sure, the PDP failed to provide any evidence to substantiate the allegations of Yakubu’s ‘brazen violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines, and criminal manipulation and alteration of election results’,” he added.
According to him, the PDP also did not give the evidence to prove its claims that Prof. Yakubu ‘sabotaged the uploading and transmission of results from polling units’.
He said, “Besides, the ‘several pieces of evidence’ that the PDP claimed ‘abound in the six geo-political zones of the country where winning figures scored by the PDP were switched in favour of the APC’ were also not laid bare.
“To be sure, the commission does not rig elections. Rather, the BVAS has, since its introduction, among other innovations, ensured the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring that only properly registered voters are allowed to vote on Election Day.”
The INEC boss spokesman said that it was common knowledge that the PDP had rejected the outcome of the presidential election and has vowed to challenge it in court.
“The path of honour for the party, therefore, is to pursue its case in court, armed with all the evidence at its disposal and wait for the court’s decision.
“But going about canvassing the same issues the party intends to plead in court on the pages of newspapers and calling for the resignation of the INEC Chairman is like putting the cart before the horse.
“More importantly, the PDP is hereby reminded that making libelous allegations against the person of the INEC Chairman is actionable. The party should henceforth desist from the practice,” Oyekanmi said.
It is just about time.
YOU WOULD THINK THEY HAVE ANY EVIDENCE. OF COURE NOT AND THE REASON THE SOUR SORE LOSERS PDP AND LP HAVE RESORTED TO WAR OF CALUMNY THAT IMPUGNE ON THE CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY OF PROF. Yakubu Mamud, THE CHAIRMAN OF INEC.
I even at lost at why the Prof. is issuing warning instead of going for the ultimate action for reproach. A suit for defamation would do and let the law take it’s course.
NUISANCE THAT LACKS INTEGRITY AND DEVOID OF DECORUM WHO COULD NOT TAKE A DIGNIFYING LOSS YET WANTS TO PRESIDE OVER NIGERIA. NOT ANYMORE, PLEASE.
The hopeless desperte bunch!