Timi Frank asks INEC boss to resign

Comrade Timi Frank, a political activist and former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has asked Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to resign as soon as possible or President Muhammadu Buhari should do the right thing and fire him for running what he called the worst-ever rigged elections in Nigeria’s history.

He asked President Buhari to be brave enough to fire Professor Yakubu because he brought shame and disgrace to the country by announcing the results of the recently concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections that were heavily rigged and altered.

Frank said this in a statement in Abuja on Monday. He said the INEC boss should step down because Nigerians no longer trust him.

“We are supposed to be the light and example in Africa but with the dismal conduct of INEC and its officials during the last Presidential and National Assemby elections, other countries in the continent absolutely have nothing to learn from us because of what Yakubu and INEC have done,” he said.

He said that Yakubu declared the APC’s Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the winner even though there was a lot of evidence that the Presidential and National Assembly elections were rigged and manipulated. This evidence came in videos, audio recordings, and written documents.

He said: “Nigerians have lost confidence in Yakubu. His words and his promises mean nothing. He has started again by promising free and fair governorship and State Assembly elections, but Nigerians are no fools because they know he will do precisely the opposite.

“Prof. Yakubu has shown himself to be a practical disgrace to Nigeria and has brought shame, disgrace and embarrassment to Nigerians in the global community. Today, Nigeria is now a laughing stock among members of the international community.

“Even in 1993, without the use of technology, Nigeria conducted an election adjudged as the freest and fairest ever. But in an age of advanced technology like the internet and BIVAS in 2023, Yakubu chose to compromise the oath of his office and obviated every truth and betrayed the confidence reposed in him by Nigerian taxpayers.

“Even at that time, the then chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, was asked to stop announcing results by then Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, but he continued because he stood on the platform of truth and living conscience.

“This is why he needs to urgently resign or President Buhari should show capacity to throw him out.”

He asked the academic community to take Prof. Yakubu’s professorship away because he had brought shame to the most respected and top scholars and academics.

Yakubu hasn’t shown the academic world in a good light by being honest, trustworthy, and faithful to his promises and the sacred trust of the people.

Frank, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, also asked the International Community to review and change his Visa status.

He told them to do what needed to be done: cancel all of his visas and never let him visit any developed country like the United States, the United Kingdom, or any EU member country.

He said that Yakubu’s election did not meet international standards for openness and trustworthiness and that everyone who likes Nigeria has to say something about it.

For example, in a statement released on Sunday, US Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Beth Leonard said, “It is clear that the whole electoral process on February 25 failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations.”

She also said that “many citizens are angry and frustrated with the results,” but that “others are celebrating victories that they believe were hard-fought and well-earned.”

He said, “We also use this opportunity to call on the international community, especially the US, UK, EU and other international institutions, not to recognise the outcome of the rigged and fraudulent elections conducted on February 25, 2023.

“This is the time Nigerians expect the international community to prioritise the interest of Nigeria first before their own interest in order to save our democracy.

“In this wise, they must not recognise the APC’s purported President-elect until the outcome of the cases in court.

“We still use this opportunity to call on the judiciary to remove Nigeria from this shame through truthful, fact-based and unbiased judgement on the post election cases soon to be instituted before the Election Petition Tribunals and the appellate courts.”