INEC Threatens To Sue PDP Over Libellous Allegations Against Mahmood Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over libelous allegations against its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.

The PDP had requested Yakubu to step down for “criminal manipulation and alteration of election results” of the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections in favour of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC).

The opposition party also said Yakubu should be investigated and prosecuted for allegedly breaching provisions of the 2022 electoral act in the conduct of the presidential election.

The PDP claimed that the plan by INEC to reconfigure the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS), for the governorship election, is a “scheme to erase and destroy evidence of its manipulation of the presidential election”.

The party, therefore, called for the resignation of Yakubu, saying his continued stay as INEC chairman is injurious to the integrity of the electoral commission.

“From all indications, the INEC under Mahmood Yakubu was compromised to rig the election by brazenly violating the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022,” PDP said.

INEC Replies PDP

Reacting to the allegations in a statement on Friday, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi said PDP’s call for Yakubu’s resignation is misplaced.

Oyekanmi advised PDP to desist from maligning Yakubu’s character or risk being sued for libel, noting that “making libellous allegations against the person of the INEC Chairman is actionable.”

He said the PDP did not provide any convincing evidence to back up its allegations, adding that the party should go to court and make its case rather than subjecting the process to a media trial.

He said; “The latest call by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, just like it did previously for the resignation of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC is misplaced.

“Interestingly, the PDP did not provide any convincing evidence to back up all the spurious allegations it listed as Prof. Yakubu’s ‘infractions’.

“To be sure, the PDP failed to provide any evidence to substantiate the allegations of Yakubu’s ‘brazen violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines, and criminal manipulation and alteration of election results’.

“The PDP also did not give the evidence to prove its claims that Prof. Yakubu ‘sabotaged the uploading and transmission of results from polling units.’

“Besides, the ‘several evidences’ that the PDP claimed ‘abound in the six geo-political zones of the country where winning figures scored by the PDP were switched in favour of the APC’ were also not laid bare.

“To be sure, the Commission does not rig elections. Rather, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS has, since its introduction, among other innovations, ensured the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring that only properly registered voters are allowed to vote on Election Day.

“It is common knowledge that the PDP has rejected the outcome of the presidential election and has vowed to challenge it in court.

“The path of honour for the party, therefore, is to pursue its case in court, armed with all the evidences at its disposal and wait for the court’s decision.

“But going about canvassing the same issues the party intends to plead in court on the pages of newspapers and calling for the resignation of the INEC Chairman is like putting the cart before the horse.

“More importantly, the PDP is hereby reminded that making libelous allegations against the person of the INEC Chairman is actionable. The party should henceforth desist from the practice”.

KanyiDaily recalls that Peter Obi had gone to court on Tuesday with his lawyers after the INEC refused to allow the Labour Party to inspect materials used during the presidential election.