Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday opposed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s call to remove Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The apex Igbo sociocultural organisation in a statement by its Secretary General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the call is not only ill-advised but also politically motivated, lacking any substantive merit or ethical grounding.
It said: “Mr Obasanjo’s historical record as a leader overseeing Nigeria’s electoral processes reveals a troubling legacy. The elections conducted under his administration in 2003 and 2007 have been universally condemned as the worst in Nigerian history by local and international observers alike.
“These elections are etched in our memory as benchmarks of electoral malpractice, where the institutional integrity of INEC was severely compromised and the public’s trust in democratic processes eroded. “It is indeed paradoxical for Mr Obasanjo to seek the removal of Professor Yakubu when his presidency played a pivotal role in institutionalizing irregularities and corruption within the electoral system.
“The troubling trajectory of INEC during Obasanjo’s tenure from 2003 to 2007 culminated in a third-term bid that ultimately failed, exposing the depths of political manipulation prevalent at the time.
“Former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s candid admission postelection in 2007 that the electoral process was fundamentally flawed starkly underscores the urgency for reform—a mission he initiated before his tragic passing in 2010.
His successor, Goodluck Jonathan, further expanded upon these reforms, emphasizing the necessity for integrity in our electoral framework.
“In this context, it is incumbent upon all citizens to recognize that Mr Obasanjo’s recent statements are thus laden with political undertones that undermine his credibility in advocating for electoral integrity today.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday opposed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s call to remove Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The apex Igbo sociocultural organisation in a statement by its Secretary General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the call is not only ill-advised but also politically motivated, lacking any substantive merit or ethical grounding.
It said: “Mr Obasanjo’s historical record as a leader overseeing Nigeria’s electoral processes reveals a troubling legacy. The elections conducted under his administration in 2003 and 2007 have been universally condemned as the worst in Nigerian history by local and international observers alike.
“These elections are etched in our memory as benchmarks of electoral malpractice, where the institutional integrity of INEC was severely compromised and the public’s trust in democratic processes eroded.
“It is indeed paradoxical for Mr Obasanjo to seek the removal of Professor Yakubu when his presidency played a pivotal role in institutionalizing irregularities and corruption within the electoral system.
“The troubling trajectory of INEC during Obasanjo’s tenure from 2003 to 2007 culminated in a third-term bid that ultimately failed, exposing the depths of political manipulation prevalent at the time.
“Former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s candid admission postelection in 2007 that the electoral process was fundamentally flawed starkly underscores the urgency for reform—a mission he initiated before his tragic passing in 2010.
His successor, Goodluck Jonathan, further expanded upon these reforms, emphasizing the necessity for integrity in our electoral framework.
“In this context, it is incumbent upon all citizens to recognize that Mr Obasanjo’s recent statements are thus laden with political undertones that undermine his credibility in advocating for electoral integrity today.”
