Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, has tackled the All Progressives Party Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, over the latter’s call for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, for postponing the presidential election.
Shittu said Oshiomhole had no moral justification to doo so because, according to him, the primaries he (Oshiomhole) conducted for the party is flawed.
Shittu was edged out of the governorship primary in Oyo State because he did not participate in the National Youth Service Scheme, and so could not present its certificate to INEC.
He said in an interview, “When Oshiomhole supervised that party primaries elections, which can be described as most horrible and corrupt in the history of the party, who called for his resignation? I will not support such call for resignation of the INEC chairman. To err is human. We have not seen any political motivation as to what has happened in INEC.
If Oshiomhole calls for resignation of the INEC chairman, he should also be preparing to resign as chairman of APC for conducting primaries marred by irregularities, and even accused of corruption in its conduct. Did anybody ask him to resign for the horrible management of primary elections under his watch?
“This is the first election that Professor Yakubu would be conducting, we need to give him the benefit of doubt and I will advise that all the political parties should be vigilant. If you bring in another chairman, when does such person begin to learn the process? Or will you on the basis of that call for another rescheduling of the elections? Certainly, it is unacceptable for anyone to ask for resignation of INEC chairman.”
