Ahead the 2023 elections, President Muhammadu Buhari has been chided for allegedly nominating some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the 2023 elections in the 2023 elections, Mr Michael Lana, chided the president in a statement, today.
He also said he had expected the president to have withdrawn the nomination of the said APC members in order not to compromise the integrity of the process ahead the elections.
Lana said it was curious that President Buhari was yet to deny the allegation leveled against him by YIAGA Africa in respect of the nominations for the REC positions.
“As a major stakeholder in the 2023 general election in Nigeria, I, Barrister Michael Lana, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in Oyo State, join patriotic Nigerians in condemning the action in strong terms.
“Having watched with keen interest the criticisms that greeted the controversial nomination of the said APC members by President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter to the Senate, dated July 25, 2022, read at plenary by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, I expected Mr President to have cleared the air by denying the allegation or by withdrawing the letter in order for the integrity of the electoral process not to be compromised on the altar of partisanship.
“Since YIAGA Africa, on behalf of a coalition of civil society organisations, called to question the justification for the names of some of the nominees for appointment as RECs, it is curious and shocking that neither the presidency nor the nominees have come out to deny the allegations made against them.
“This is an affirmation of the said allegation,” the Oyo SDP governorship candidates stated in the statement.
“I back the argument that the nomination of the party men as electoral umpires is self-serving just as it contravenes Section 156(1)(a) of the amended 1999 Constitution.
“[This] would have grave implications for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s credibility, independence and capacity to deliver free, fair and credible elections.
“Let the Presidency and the National Assembly know that any election conducted in any state under the supervision of any of the nominees (if their appointment is ratified) is not only flawed but unconstitutional ab initio.
“I, being a stakeholder in the said elections, will not just look on but institute a legal action if the names are not withdrawn within three days.
“I urge the National Assembly to ensure that they are not railroaded or used, by any means, to undermine democracy in our country,” Barrister Lana further stated.
