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Shittu attacks Oshiomhole over call for INEC boss’ resignation

David Adenekan
David Adenekan
Shittu attacks Oshiomhole over call for INEC boss’ resignation
Shittu and Oshiomhole

The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, on Monday attacked the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, over his call for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

Oshiomhole had made the call following INEC’s postponement of the general election earlier scheduled to begin last Saturday.

Shittu launched the attack while speaking with  journalists in Ibadan.

He said if Yakubu was made to resign, it might affect the conduct of the rescheduled general elections on Saturday.

He asked:  “Would Oshiomhole have agreed to resign if called upon when he supervised the worst primary elections of the APC?”

Shittu urged Nigerians to give INEC chairman the benefit of doubt, noting that even if he resigned, the election might need to be postponed for a new chairman to prepare for fresh elections.

“I will not support such call for resignation of the INEC chairman. To err is human. We have not seen any political motivation as to what has happened in INEC. If Oshiomohole calls for resignation of the INEC chairman, he should also be preparing to resign as chairman.  Did anybody ask him to resign for the horrible management of primary elections under his watch?

“This is the first election that Professor Yakubu will be conducting, so we need to give him the benefit of doubt and I will advise that all the political parties should  be vigilant. If you bring in another chairman, when does such person begin to learn the process? Or will you on the basis of that call for another rescheduling of the elections?

“Certainly, it is unacceptable for anyone to ask for resignation of the INEC chairman.”

Speaking on the ban of election campaign by INEC, Shittu reasoned that such ban could not be justified by the commission, saying the constitutional provisions which stipulated 24 hours before the election should be upheld.

“They must justify the ban on campaign under the law. Campaign must stop 24 hours before the elections.  Political parties can make use of the best of the time. In a largely illiterate areas, many of the electorate must have forgot what they had been taught particularly on how to vote and how to identify the party logo.  I will say any ban extended beyond 48 hours will not be justified by anyone,” he said.

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