The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has expressed concern over the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain the required competence and neutrality to deliver free, fair and credible elections in 2023.
It said that it is not unaware of the alleged overall objective triggering the latest position by INEC to upturn the primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yobe North senatorial district in favour of the incumbent Senate President, Ahmed Lawan.
TMG noted that the participation of Lawan in the Senatorial primary has been disqualified by the provisions of Electoral Act following his involvement in the APC presidential primary where he contested and lost.
This was as it called for the immediate prosecution by relevant authorities, of all upturned primaries of various political parties in favour of selected candidates, who were disqualified by the Electoral Act 2022 for contesting under separate seats.
It also expressed concerns over the impunity of cross-carpeting in some political parties that deliberately reversed victories and or allowed dubious re-runs in favour of some candidates who had contested and lost their primaries under separate political platforms.
The TMG which stated these while reacting to alleged reported disregard to the sanity and sanctity of the rule of law by INEC in its ongoing tactics to upturn the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for Yobe North Senatorial District, said the development calls for serious concern.
These were contained in a statement by Mr. Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani) Chairman of the TMG, in which he said that the group is monitoring with keen interest the emerging development around the electoral sphere ahead of 2023.
Musa said that the TMG it is committed to ensuring full implementation of the provisions of the Electoral Act, to restore electoral credibility and integrity at all levels.
In his words; “It is on this note that we express total displeasure with the latest position of the Electoral Body over the declaration of Bashir Machina, whose victory it earlier affirmed from the Senatorial primary in Yobe North, giving the INEC-certified true copy report of the primary election held on May 28, 2022, when he scored 289 votes out of 300 delegates.
“We find the tactical pursuit of injustice and impunity through judicial institution displayed in an Affidavit dated August 11, 2022 filed before the Federal High Court in Damaturu, Yobe state, as tantamount to probable disobedience to the sanity and sanctity of the provisions of Electoral Act and betrayal of public trust.
“We observed with serious condemnation, the deliberately created condition by the Electoral Body to upturn the outcome and victory of a democratically recognized candidate in favour of an individual, who qualifies neither within the context of the Electoral Law nor as a documented contestant in the Senatorial primary.
“We therefore call on INEC to maintain absolute neutrality and respect for the rule of law in its activities at all levels, to demonstrate competence and trustworthiness to secure integrity and public trust in the 2023 general elections,” TMG said.
