2023: Presidency dismisses reports of planned removal of INEC Chairman, non-usage of BVAS

The presidency has refuted allegations that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was ousted prior to the elections in 2023.

This information was released on Tuesday by Mr. Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser for Media and Publicity, who also reiterated the use of the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS) in the approaching elections.
This was said by Adesina on Tuesday in Abuja at a policy conversation event held to commemorate the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI).

The Ministry of Justice, the Kano State Government, and the Managing Conflict in Nigeria Program organised the policy conversation with the theme “Media, Civil Society, and Violence-Free Election in Nigeria.”

Adesina advised journalists not to give attention to people with hidden intentions to disrupt the 2023 general elections by spreading rumour.

The Presidency was reacting to recent worries expressed by some civil society organisations and Ikenga Ugochinyere, the spokesman for the Coalition of United Political Parties, regarding plans by some political actors to oust Yakubu as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission through the National Assembly, deactivate the BVAS so it cannot be used in the elections of 2023, and ultimately stop electronic results transmission.

“Recently, there was one group that said the chairman of INEC was going to be removed because may be they didn’t want BVAS.

“How many times has the President spoken about the role of technology in getting him into office?

“He has spoken about it locally, internationally that three times he contested three times he ended at the Supreme Court because the government of the day will just write results.

“Then he said until technology came and there was a permanent voter cards and so it was difficult to write results.

“So, how and why can the same person has issues with BVAS? I saw that group on television, alleging that there was plan to remove the INEC Chairman and the media gave them that opportunity.

“Such things should be treated with contradictions because they don’t make sense, at least not under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he stated.

Adesina said that just on Monday, Buhari at a meeting in Imo, also gave matching order to police to ensure 2023 general election is credible.

“If you are going to rig elections, of course the police will be critical in rigging it and here you hear the president saying at every opportunity that don’t rig election.”

Adesina said while Buhari has always described his commitment to credible elections, the media, the electoral management body and other stakeholders have critical roles to play to achieve that.