INEC Chair, Yakubu Mahmood. |
A group of young Nigerians has written to the Chairman of INEC,
Prof Yakubu Mahmood, cautioning him against exhibiting bias against Atiku
Abubakar, the leading opposition candidate, at Saturday’s presidential
election.
In the letter dated February 11, 2019 and copied to the United
Nations, United States embassy, High Commission of the United Kingdom and
European Delegation in Nigeria, The United Nigeria Group (TUNG) called
Professor Mahmood’s attention to credible allegations that had been circulating
online, pointing out his personal bias in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari,
and describing ways in which the INEC chairman stands to gain if the elections
go in the incumbent’s favour.
“Because these allegations are so weighty, it becomes necessary
that we bring them to your notice so you may be aware and then abstain from any
acts that may eventually corroborate them,” Dr Emenena Bright, who signed the
letter on behalf of the group said.
“We are optimistic that you will stay on the side of the citizens
to ensure an improvement on the 2015 elections, that our democracy may not only
be sustained, but shall be deepened.”
The letter quoted copiously from a Twitter thread authored by
public affairs commentator, Prof Farooq Kperogi, and titled “ATIKU’S FIERCEST
FOE ISN’T BUHARI, IT’S THE INEC CHAIRMAN”.
“At this point, Buhari isn’t a threat to Atiku, INEC Chairman
Professor Mahmood Yakubu is actually Atiku’s most potent threat now,” Kperogi
wrote.
He went on to give reasons for his convictions, relating a
conversation he had with a close friend of Mahmood’s brother.
“[He] confided in me today that the electoral boss has a deep-
seated animus toward Atiku and has made many nasty, unkind remarks about Atiku
in private. That, in and of itself, is not the problem. We are all entitled to
our personal predispositions and biases as long as they don’t interfere with
our judgement on occasions that invite our neutrality and fair mindedness.
"However, the same source told me the INEC Chairman has a
profound personal investment in APC’s electoral successes, like Maurice Iwu had
of PDP’s victories. He said the INEC Chairman told his friend that he was going
to hand victory to APC in Osun governorship election even though PDP clearly
and handily won it.”
Kperogi concluded his lengthy piece by conceding that INEC has
taken many admirable actions in the past few months that point to some degree
of independence. He, however, expressed concern that these actions may simply
be “window-dressing to conceal plans for the grand presidential electoral heist
on February 16”.
The United Nigeria Group made it clear in the letter to the INEC
chairman that the group was not going to swallow Kperogi’s allegations hook,
line and sinker—but felt it necessary to bring the allegations to Mahmood’s
attention and also caution him in case there might be any element of truth in
them.
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