The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has responded to the Labour Party’s call for the immediate dismissal and prosecution of its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, over allegations of impartiality in the conduct of an election.
Akin Osuntokun, the Director General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, made the demand on Thursday, stating that Yakubu and other top INEC officials should face sanctions by the international community for their alleged role in a perceived biased election.
However, INEC has dismissed the party’s demand, stating that the Labour Party lacks the jurisdiction to call for the dismissal and prosecution of the INEC Chairman based on the outcome of an election in which the party participated.
Yakubu’s commission conducted the election in question, which saw President Bola Tinubu emerge as the winner, despite challenges from the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who came third, and the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who came second. Both Obi and Abubakar are contesting the election results in court.
In addition to the demand for dismissal, the Labour Party’s campaign organization also called for a forensic investigation into the expenditure of the 2023 general elections, including funds received by INEC, particularly the N300 billion from the Nigerian government. The party highlighted reports from election observer groups, such as the EU Election Observation Mission, that pointed out flaws in the election process.
The response from INEC came through Rotimi Oyekanmi, the media aide to Yakubu, who stated that the Labour Party’s demand for dismissal was misplaced and outside their jurisdiction. Oyekanmi emphasized that INEC is an impartial body responsible for conducting elections and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
