2023 ELECTIONS: CONCERNED NIGERIANS RAISE ALARM OVER HEIGHTENED FEARS IN INEC …. Sudden Redeployments Of Key Players, Says Murtala Abdulaziz Mustapha.

"The rationale behind the decision of the Prof Mahmood Yakubu led INEC to suddenly, remove key officers preparatory to an election that is barely six months away, is suspicious and unnecessary." Murtala Abdulaziz Mustapha.

"It is  aimed at ensuring that the vote and choice of the people, does not count at the end of the exercise."

A group of concerned patriots in Nigeria have raised alarms following what they have described as, a tacit move to ensure that the 2023 elections, particularly, the presidential election which has the people’s choice and candidate; Peter Obi, of the labour party, LP is fraught with the usual “smart rigging” and manipulation of the exercise.

This, according to release by Murtala Abdulaziz Mustapha, is aimed at ensuring that the vote and choice of the people, does not count at the end of the exercise.

Mustapha, National Coordinator of the Patriotic Movement of Nigeria, PMN while stating this on Monday, 29 August 2023 in a statement made to journalists in Abuja, called on all genuine lovers of sustainable and developmental democracy to rise to the occasion and demand answers to the sudden removal of key personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The National Coordinator of the PMN, Murtala Abdulaziz Mustapha  therefore queried the rationale behind the decision of the Prof Mahmood Yakubu led INEC to suddenly, remove key officers preparatory to an election that is barely six months away. He opined that the sudden redeployment is suspect, especially when their individual and collective impact were been appreciated by Nigerians in the conduct and outcome of the Governorship elections in Ekiti and Ogun states.

He expressed the dissatisfaction of the PMN and many other concerned patriots in this decision to redeploy Engr Chidi Nwafor, the Director of ICT, stressing that, at this crucial time in our nascent democracy, such a move is a clear indication that not all is well.

“The transfer of Engr Chidi Nwafor, from INEC Headquarters, Abuja as Director of ICT, to Enugu, where is expected to serve as the Administrative Secretary to INEC Enugu state, is a demotion rather than commendation for the wonderful feats the gentleman achieved, for the greater good of Nigeria and its electoral advancements.”

“It was Engr Chidi Nwafor who introduced the Bimordal Voting Accreditation System, BVAS. to replace the card reader. The BVAS has proven to be more liable and has largely eliminated rigging. One therefore wonders why this sudden redeployment by Prof Mahmood Yakubu.”   

“Is INEC ready for a free and fair election in 2023? I am beginning to entertain fears that INEC may not conduct a free, fair and transparent election in 2023,” he stated.

The PMN National Coordinator opined that, “with BVAS, the issue of over voting, double voting and hijacking of ballot boxes has been eliminated as it also transmits results electronically to the INEC Central Server. The achievements of and feats of Engr Nwafor includes the introduction of other applications that helps eliminate double registration and ghost resignation that is capable of sieving voters register and produce real voters. It helped in reducing dubious numbers of voters in some states to real organic voters. 

The question therefore before Nigerians is; “Is Prof Mahmood and INEC ready for a free and fair election in 2023. There are already doubts". Murtala Abdulaziz Mustapha wondered!