Prof Yakubu must act like born again Chairman – HURIWA list steps INEC boss must take

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Tuesday, called on the reelected National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, to “act like a born again chairman.”

HURIWA, a frontline rights group said Yakubu should work like a man with a conscience and fear of God by ensuring a quality electoral system in Nigeria.

The rights group was reacting to the confirmation of Yakubu by the Senate.

It urged the INEC Chairman to clean up the national voters register which has been hijacked by the North.

Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of the rights group also appealed to Yakubu to work with the National Assembly to get “a clean Electoral Act.”

A statement by Onwubiko reads partly: “We want Yakubu to work as a patriot

and not a regional bigot and therefore put all his heart, mind and resources to work for Nigeria and not for Northern Nigeria as it was in 2019 because of posterity and most importantly his children. We want him to always reflect on these following words each time he enters his office “what legacy will I bequeath to my children.’

“This is because aside the current president, he as the chairman of INEC has the responsibility to make or mar Nigeria. This is because the task of conducting election in a volatile environment like Nigeria is challenging.

“The first task for the brand new chairman is the old things have passed and the new dawn is here. Firstly, Mr. Chairman please clean up the National voters register because it is polluted , it is hijacked by the North in such a way that even a three year old is registered, even as the south is not left out but it is more notorious in the north. Nigerians don’t have to waste three hours just to be registered and another three or months to receive depending on the sound of your name just like the National coordinator of HURIWA could not receive his voters card in Abuja just because his name is Onwubiko and not Abdul or Yakubu or Nuhu.

“These things happened under this same chairman in his last dispensation but now we are seeing him as a born again chairman so he should behave as one and say no to division and yes to one Nigeria.

“Secondly, he should work with the National Assembly to get us clean electoral Act that will meet the taste of time and not the electoral Act that will be changed like a daily newspaper, everyday amendment and thereby costing the tax payers hugely.

“Thirdly, the Chairman needs to do in-house clean sweep to remove all professional election riggers embedded in the INEC. He should stop the use of ASUU members to conduct elections because they are the world’s worst election riggers.

INEC should make use of their staffs so they can easily be held responsible instead of the corrupt professors. INEC needs to recruit better staffs and pay them well in order to deliver professionally.

“Lastly, INEC must provide oversight duties to registered political parties in line with the Constitutional provisions of sections 225, 226 and 227 of the Nigerian constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria “225. – (1)Every political party shall, at such times and in such manner as the Independent National Electoral Commission may require, summit to the Independent National Electoral Commission and publish a statement of its assets and liabilities.”