Stop media attacks on INEC chair - Group tells opposition parties

The Nigerian Youth Network for Good Governance and Sustainable Democracy has urged opposition parties to stop media attacks on the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and his counterpart of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, petitioned the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal after INEC declared Bola Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

In a statement made available to our correspondent on Monday, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Constantine Ikechukwu, condemned the continued disregard for the rule of law by the LP, PDP and their supporters with their unmitigated comments on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election even when the PEPT is busy hearing their petitions.

The Chairman said, “Unfortunately, both the petitioners, their lawyers and supporters have continued to make disparaging remarks about the outcome of the election in public.

“In fact, their lawyers, who are learned silks, have continued to make unsavoury comments to the media about the outcome of the election which they are challenging.

Ikechukwu, who agreed that the 2023 presidential election was not perfect, claimed that “there is no concrete evidence to show that the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu rigged the election in favour of the APC.

“After a careful study of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, we are convinced that in declaring Bola Tinubu as President-elect at the National Collation Centre, Prof. Yakubu only performed his statutory role and did not break any known law.

“On the contrary, he would have broken the law with serious consequences if he had failed to make that declaration.”

Advising opposition parties, the Chairman noted, “All aggrieved parties must now sheath their swords, stop the ongoing verbal war on social media, and allow the Tribunal to conclude its assignment in peace.

“More importantly, Nigerian politicians should learn to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship in politics instead of crying foul each time an election result did not favour them.”