The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the last February 25 presidential election in Nigeria, Prince Adewole Adebayo has said that the country’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was never designed to conduct free, fair and credible election but an instrument set up by the political status-quo to continue to determine political succession.

He made the statement recently when he was featured as a special guest on an online discussion programme anchored by Rudolf Okonkwo, ’90 Minutes Africa.’

He stressed that the electoral body was designed in such a way that only the president appoints the INEC chairman, although subject to the confirmation of the Senate, but lamented that such an arrangement cannot produce credible leaders as it the tendency to manipulate their operation is not in doubt.

He expressed fear that If the arrangement is not changed, an ex-convict would one day be appointed to head the electoral body and there is nothing anybody can do about that. He said:

We must be interested in the process all the time. As it is right now, it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu that will choose the next INEC chairman. I can guarantee that the person to be appointed will make you say that the current chairman Mahmood Yakubu is an angel. We started with Ephraim Akpata, then to Abel Guobadia, Maurice Iwu and Attahiru Jega before the current chairman. Next time the person they may bring may be a full-time ex-convict. By our law, if Tinubu goes to the Kuje Prison to bring someone, and the Senate says the person is good, then the person automatically becomes the INEC chairman.”

He told those accusing INEC of compromise to keep their cool as the electoral body is not different from every sphere of Nigerian life that is deep-neck in cheating.

“We have the tendency to cheat. What we are accusing the INEC of doing is the same thing you find with people writing the unified tertiary institutions admission examinations conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation (JAMB), the examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and professional examinations as well as what we do when recruiting people into service. It’s everywhere; that culture of people not wanting to do what is right. We only complain about cheating that doesn’t favour us. We must be interested in the process all the time,” he said.

He also stressed that a new Nigeria would only be possible if Nigerians could rise to support a coalition or an alliance of young political structures to wrestle power from he called the old brigades that have dominated the political landscape for a long time.

“Such alliance, together with the support of the masses, will ensure that the old parties and their candidates are consigned to the dustbin of history for good,” he said.

He lamented that the majority of the new political parties and their candidates were, during the campaign and subsequently the election, were lone rangers, a development he said reduced the collective strength of the young and new entrants. (Daily Sun)

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