By Anifowoshe Oladipupo
Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, of exhibiting bias in the discharge of his duties.
Speaking on Tuesday, the former Governor of Rivers State claimed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not have been registered or won the 2015 general elections if Yakubu had been INEC chairman at the time.
Amaechi praised former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for his role in facilitating a transparent electoral process that enabled the APC’s registration and eventual victory in 2015.
“The current chairman of INEC, if he were in charge in 2015, we would not have won,” Amaechi said. “May God bless Jega, because the ground rules were clear. When we sought registration as APC, Jega opened the door, and we complied with the requirements. He got APC registered. The current chairman, even if you meet all the conditions, wouldn’t register you.”
He further alleged that the present INEC administration is already showing signs of partiality. “INEC is already biased,” he said. “When you look at how elections have been conducted in Nigeria, even Option A4 gave us more transparency. At least then, you could clearly see what was going on.
“But now, we are back to the days of people like (Maurice) Iwu and the current chairman, and things have worsened.”
Amaechi concluded by expressing concern about what he described as a “state capture” of the electoral system, warning that Nigeria’s democracy is being undermined through manipulation of electoral institutions.
