Interim National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the Attairu Jega led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no integrity to conduct further election in Nigeria.
The spokesperson of the mega opposition party made this declaration on the heels of controversies that trailed the November 16 governorship election in Anambra state, which the electoral body had since declared inconclusive.
It will be recalled that INEC had slated Saturday, November 30, for the supplementary election in some polling units in the state.
Mohammed while fielding questions from Journalists yesterday in Abeokuta explained that Nigerians should be more concerned about INEC and not political parties adding that political parties, lie a football team, will always want to win an election.
The APC scribe wondered how Jega, who could not ensure free and fair elections in Anambra state, would conduct the 2015 polls.
According to him, “no amount of mobilization or registration you do will help you if the umpire remains INEC. If the treatment you are going to get is the one you got in Anambra. As of today, if INEC chairman can admit that somebody tried to compromise the register in Idemili North, then how are we sure any register anywhere is save. If they can compromise election in Idemili North, so they can do also in Ekiti or Ondo.
“Actually we should be more concerned about INEC than political parties. Political parties are like football teams, they want to win matches but it is for the referee to ensure that every team follows and obeys the rules. And this is why I think Nigeria has a problem because INEC as we have today, we do not believe has the integrity to conduct any further election in Nigeria”.
Mohammed also described the Anambra polls as an election between the presidency and the APC.
“This Anambra election is a very important election. It is not just about who is going to be governor of Anambra state, as a matter of fact, we are not really worried about who is going to win but we were very concerned about rule of law.
“We were concerned that every Nigerian, who is eligible to vote, must cast his vote because Anambra election is a dry-run to Ekiti, Osun and 2015. So if we don’t get it right now, it portends trouble for Nigeria.
“For us in APC, the matter is very clear. Anambra election is not about APC versus PDP or APGA; it is about APC versus the presidency.
Otherwise, how do we explain that PDP, whose candidate was not allowed to vote in that election, will rush to the press and say that the election was free and fair?
The APC publicity secretary maintained that the electoral body has enough evidences before it to cancel the whole election in the state.
He opined that the INEC Chairman’s public declaration that a senior members of the commission was induced to compromise the election in Idemili local government area of Anambra state is enough evidence to cancel the whole election.
He maintained that the proposed supplementary election cannot redeem the image of INEC in Anambra which, according to him, has been tainted with such irredeemable irregularities
“INEC chairman himself admitted publicly that a senior official of the commission was induced with money to compromise the election in Idemili North local government. The fact that the INEC chairman can admit that his official took money to compromise the election; I think it is enough basis for cancellation because we do not even know how far that conspiracy has gone,” he said.