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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Bola Tinubu to make public the details of the process for appointing the next chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a letter dated September 27 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said Nigerians deserve to know the number and names of candidates for INEC chairman and whether the Council of State has been consulted, as constitutionally required.
“The selection and appointment process for Mr Yakubu’s replacement cannot and should not be a closed shop,” SERAP stated.
“Openness and transparency in the process would improve public trust in the commission’s independence and impartiality.”
The group stressed that secrecy in the appointment would undermine INEC’s credibility.
“Anyone to be appointed as INEC chairman must clearly be non-partisan, independent, impartial and neutral,” it added.
Having spent 10 years as INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure will come to an end in November.
In other news, some chieftains of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State have declared that the party is doing all things humanly possible to take over the mantle of leadership from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state in 2027.
The APC chieftains made this declaration on Saturday while addressing journalists at the launch of a book authored by a New Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reporter, Akeem Abas, titled ‘A Life Of Principle: The Olayide Moshood Abas Story, in honour of his father, Pharmacist Olayide Abas, who doubles as the Chairman of APC in the state.
The book launch which commemorated the APC chairman’s 76th birthday, was attended by prominent chieftains of the party in the state, including Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli (Oyo South), the member of the House of Representatives representing Ido/Ibarapa East, Aderemi Oseni, APC senatorial aspirant in Oyo Central, Mr Wasiu Ademola Alli and APC gubernatorial aspirant, Barrister Akeem Agbaje.
