The Presidency has denied reports making the rounds that President Muhammadu Buhari was planning to remove the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu over the last minute shift in the dates for the general elections.
Recall that the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, had alleged that Buhari was planning to suspend Yakubu and replace him with Amina Zakari whom it claimed was the oldest serving and most experienced National Commissioner with the electoral body.
Reacting to the reports on Sunday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “Those reports are utterly baseless and false. There is nothing like that.
“Whoever is saying the President is removing INEC chairman is just displaying his illiteracy. Let him go and read the constitution.
“You need a resolution by two-thirds majority of the Senate for any such action.”
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Another government source, who spoke in confidence, said: “What PDP National Chairman Secondus wanted was more of electoral anarchy, which this Buhari administration will not oblige him. Resignation or removal of INEC chairman is never contemplated by the President.
“Buhari’s administration will not change the rule in the middle of the game. Asking INEC chairman to quit will cause rumpus within INEC management, disrupt all preparations for the poll and create unrest nationwide.
“The opposition has a hidden agenda, which this government will not buy into. We will also not play into their hands.The INEC chairman will remain in charge of the electoral agency.”
