By Fred Itua, Abuja
A Coalition of Political Parties stormed the National Assembly on Thursday to express their support for the screening and confirmation of Professor Mahmood Yakubu by the Senate as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The coalition urged the lawmakers to shun the alleged clandestine move by some politicians to scuttle the confirmation of Prof. Yakubu for a second term.
President Muhammadu Buhari had recently reappointed Prof Yakubu for another tenure of five years.
The Coalition of Political Parties, which stormed the National Assembly with banners of various inscriptions, appreciated Mr President for reappointing Prof Yakubu for a second term, adding that his reappointment was a right step in a right direction.
The inscriptions read: ‘All political parties in Nigeria accept professor Yakubu reappointment as INEC chairman, commend Senate President and Senators for speedy screening action.
‘All political parties in Nigeria say President Buhari’s reappointment of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as INEC Chairman will help consolidate the ongoing reforms in INEC especially electronic voting.’
Addressing newsmen at the venue, the National Chairman of Action Alliance, Kenneth Udeze, gave kudos to President Buhari for the reappointment of Prof. Yakubu, adding that as oppositions it is not all issues that should be criticised.
He said that when the President do something good, he should be appreciated. Commending Prof. Yakubu for his innovation in Edo and Ondo elections, Udeze said that the transmission of election results by electronic means is commendable.
‘He has done well. One thing is to have a team and another to have a good man at the head,’ he said.
He called on Prof. Yakubu to stop using ad hoc staff as returning officers, but staff. Udeze urged the INEC Chairman to replicate what he did in Edo and Ondo in the forthcoming 2023 general election, by ensuring that the process of using electronic voting in the election is put in place.
Recall that the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) had raised the alarm that some people in President Buhari’s government are working to scuttle the screening of his nominee.
IPAC had alleged that it has uncovered a plot to use the Court to truncate Senate screening of Prof Yakubu as INEC Chairman, adding that two serving ministers are behind the plot to stop his reappointment.
IPAC had said that ‘a few desperate politicians particularly those in the Cabinet of the President have conspired to yet again desecrate the temple of justice, the institution of the judiciary like they did in the removal of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria to hijack the legislative powers of the Senate to screen and confirm the nominee.
‘We have uncovered a deadly plot to procure a midnight court order to destabilise the electoral stability of the country and throw the electoral body into leadership vacuum and challenges. This plot is being secretly spearheaded by those who parade as loyalists of Mr President in the day time but wear a treacherous dress to undo the President and sabotage his agenda in pursuit of a desperate ambition to be president and governor.’