Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), on Sunday, asked President Bola Tinubu to dismiss the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu; and some unscrupulous Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Commission found culpable of electoral malpractices in the 2023 general elections.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the President, if he means well for the country and wants institutional and electoral reforms established in Nigeria, should immediately sack Yakubu and his RECs who betrayed the trust of over 21 million Nigerians who voted in the February 25 presidential poll.

The group said following the suspension of Godwin Emefiele as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Abdulrasheed Bawa as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the President, the dismissal and probe of Mahmood for alleged electoral heist in the 2023 general elections should instantly follow.

HURIWA, therefore, backed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba, who said Yakubu has to leave his role as the INEC boss so as not to impede the ongoing electoral reforms in Nigeria.

For instance, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) said the conduct of the elections by INEC fell short of expectations by Nigerians. “In many parts of the country, their (Nigerians’) expectations were not met. Many were disappointed and we witnessed voter apathy that is in part a clear consequence of failures by political elites and, unfortunately, also by INEC,” the Mission stated after the polls.

The United States Department of States acknowledged that the election process had “shortcomings of technical elements that were used for the first time in a presidential election cycle.” The then US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said, “It is clear that the electoral process as a whole on February 25 failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations.”

Also, global think-tank, Chatham House said INEC was not able to win the trust of Nigerians during the elections due to “logistical shortcomings and technology failures, notably challenges with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the limited functionality of the INEC results viewing portal (IReV).”

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is on record that the presidential election conducted by INEC on February 25, 2023 was marred by various electoral malpractices, voters’ suppression, violence, the failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV), amongst other dysfunctions.

“In fact, both presidential and most of the governorship elections are being challenged at Tribunals in states. The visible misconduct by some top INEC officials including that of suspended REC in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians. Yet, nothing has been heard of Yunusa-Ari.

“It is also on record that credible International and local organisations have rated the 2023 general elections as a sham. If President Bola Tinubu means well for Nigeria, he needs to unbundle INEC and throw away the rotten head and all affiliates that are contaminated. He needs to remove the current corrupt crop of national commissioners and the hierarchy remain in place.”

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA)