2019: Southern, Middle Belt leaders demand Service Chiefs, INEC chairman’s removal

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum demanded for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The group said this on Sunday at a press conference in Abuja.
Those who attended the press conference included Chief Edwin Clark, representing South-South; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, South-West; Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, South-East; Air Commodore Dan Suleiman (retd), Middle Belt; and Air Commodore Nkanga Idongesit, South-South,
The Forum said the fear remains that INEC may not deliver free and fair elections in 2019.
It said: “The bug of nepotism and sectionalism that this administration is renowned for has also eaten up the leadership of the commission.”
The forum said there are “accumulated indications” that Yakubu might rig the election in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Idongesit, the Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, who delivered the group’s position, argued that retaining the country’s Service Chiefs who ought to have retired and keeping Yakubu as INEC boss were suspicious.
He added this was in tandem with the narrative that they would play partisan roles in favour of the President.
He said: “From 1960 till date, only President Muhammadu Buhari has been audacious to pick only people who are either his relations or of the same ethnic stock with him to lead the electoral body.
“The Balewa Government headed by a Northerner appointed Prof. Eyo Ita Esua from the South, who was in charge of the Federal Electoral Commission from 1960-66; General Olusegun Obasanjo, a Yoruba, set up the Federal Electoral Commission under Michael Ani (1976-1979).
“When Dr Goodluck Jonathan came in from the South-South, he appointed Prof. Attahiru Jega from the North-West (June 2010-Oct. 2015).”
The group contended that it was only President Buhari who appointed his relation from the North-West, Amina Zakari, as the acting INEC Chairman when he became President in 2015 before he appointed Yakubu from the North-East as substantive chairman.
Idongesit said: “The relationship between the powerful Amina Zakari and the INEC chairman is so strong that it has the tendency to influence the outcome of the elections in favour of the appointee.”