The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has lashed out at the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, over the conduct of the 2023 general election.

Atiku, a former Vice President, described as “medicine after death” Yakubu’s promise to deliver credible governorship and State Assembly elections by ensuring that INEC officials found wanting during the February 25 presidential election would be barred from engaging in the March 11 polls.

Yakubu had said this at a meeting with the commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), in Abuja o Saturday, adding that the electoral umpire would ensure the strict use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the forthcoming polls.

However, Atiku, in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described Yakubu’s assurance as “worthless and unconvincing”.

Shaibu added that the INEC chairman was only trying to save face after conducting the “worst elections” Nigeria had ever witnessed since independence.

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He urged Yakubu not to deceive Nigerians again after the “shambolic performance” of INEC in the February 25, 2023, elections.

Atiku’s aide also commended the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, for admitting that the elections were below the expectations of Nigerians.

“The INEC chairman is nothing but a hypocrite. After promising to upload the results from polling units in real time, he allowed himself to be used, or he used himself in subverting the will of Nigerians. It will shock you to note that seven days since the election ended, the full results have still not been uploaded on INEC’s result viewing portal.

“The election was so bad that it failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians as restated by several foreign media outlets and observers as well as Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard of the US. Rather than apologise, the INEC chairman is trying to shift blame.

“After INEC’s abysmal performance at the scam election of February 25, he is now trying to save face, insisting that errant staff would be punished and would not be deployed in the March 11 governorship poll. This is arrant nonsense. Is INEC planning on training new staff within five days that will replace the so-called errant ones? Is he going to recruit new staff or deploy some from outer space?

“Prof. Yakubu should be man enough to own up to his failure. A fish rots from the head down, and that is what has happened at INEC.

“Rather than suspend any staff, the INEC chairman is the one that needs to step aside as his first act of contrition.

“Already, over 300,000 Nigerians have signed a petition on Change.Org to demand that the US, UK, and Europe place a visa ban on the INEC chairman. This shows you the general feeling of Nigerians. Prof Yakubu should hide his face in shame,” Shaibu stated.

The Star