The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has rejected what it described as alleged plans by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint a person loyal to him as the next chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the Southwest.

In a Press Release signed by the Coalition?s national Spokesperson, Comrade Mark Adebayo, the Coalition insisted that ?The president is playing a dangerous game of planning to ethnicize the appointment of the next person who will replace the outgoing INEC chairman who is notorious for conducting the worst series of election since the country?s return to democracy in 1999.

?Now, the President is scheming to appoint a yes-man to him as the next INEC chairman who will conduct even worse elections than the outgoing chairman.

?The signs are already manifesting in the ways the ruling Party is orchestrating crises in opposition political Parties as to weaken them significantly prior to the 2027 general elections, especially the presidential election.

?Having realized that the APC cannot win in a free and fair contest due to the horrible records of the Tinubu inefficient administration where economic hardship and insecurity are the predominant features, the president has allegedly perfected plans to further compromise the election management body to serve his personal purpose of election results manipulation.

?We call on Nigerians to support the CUPP in our advocacy for comprehensive electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections starting with legislating electronic transmission of results from the polling units into law without any chance of a contrived glitch.

?The international community should pay strong attention to Nigeria?s democratic process and act promptly to save our democracy and country from the stranglehold of electoral bandits. We call on the international community to sanction all INEC officials and politically exposed persons who are actively contributing to disrupting Nigeria?s democracy either by sponsoring internal crises in other political Parties or helping election riggers to manipulate election results or unleashing thugs on opponents, and related criminalities.

?Appointment of a Yoruba person or any other appointee from any part of the country with questionable pedigree will be unacceptable to Nigerians and will be stoutly resisted. In addition to the unprecedented suffering and burgeoning insecurity in the country, the President is only preoccupied with retaining power by hook or crook starting with his alleged plan to impose a questionable character on the nation?s election management. This government has taken Nigerians for granted enough and we caution it to avoid instigating an unmitigatable cataclysmic implosion that could threaten the country?s stability and democracy.?

Talks on the next INEC Chairman have gained ground as the retirement of Prof Mahmood Yakubu draws nearer.

Yakubu is due to retire on November 9, 2025. (Daily Trust)

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