Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, has told the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, to sack the Commission’s Director of ICT, Femi Odubiyi.
The former Military Administrator of Ondo State made the demand in a statement he issued to the media on Sunday.
George accused Odubiyi if closeness to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the February 25 election in Nigeria and President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said on the statement: “Today, millions of Nigerians are disputing the outcome of the February 25 Presidential elections and some candidates are already in court. BVAS and IReV are very critical in the legal process that is going on.
“Nigerians are already asking Prof. Mahmood Yakubu: How did this man, former Commissioner in Lagos State, find his way into INEC, not just any Department but a critical one like ICT?
“That department is very sensitive. Why should a follower of a presidential candidate be deployed to man a sensitive department like ICT in an election year?
“How did he even get his way into INEC? Do we have acolytes of Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and other candidates heading other departments in INEC? Nigerians need to know.
“Was there no background check by security agents before this man was chosen to head ICT? How do we want the world to look at us when somebody close to a presidential candidate decides what goes on in the ICT Department?
“Now that other candidates are in court, is this not the time for this fellow to be redeployed? Who appointed him and when was he appointed? Nigerians need to know.
“How did he get in there? Was Yakubu sleeping? How come Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso and others did not put their contacts there? These are posers the INEC Chairman must unravel.
“It is stated clearly in the electoral law that election results from the polling units must be transmitted into INEC Server, and there must not be any interloper.
“I call on all security apparatus of government to quickly wade into this matter by inviting Odubiyi, to explain whatever role he has played and tell Nigerians how he got into INEC ICT unit, from being a Commissioner in Lagos State.
“The masquerade must be unveiled. This unholy alliance that has pushed our country towards precipice must be thoroughly checked and nipped in the bud.”