Follow Us on Google
From Gyang Bere, Jos
The Atiku/ Mutfwang Youth Campaign Council, Plateau State has called on the National Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to redeploy out of Jos all ICT staff who worked under the former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue state, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, who is now APC Governorship Candidate in Plateau State.
Director General of the Youth campaign council, Hitler Pwajok, who addressed Journalists in Jos on Wednesday expressed fear over the neutrality of INEC in the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Plateau, for deploying INEC ICT staff from Benue, after their former boss, Nentawe won the APC Governorship primaries.
“It is public knowledge that shortly after the conduct of governorship primaries of political parties, especially that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State which produced Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner of Benue State, presumed to be the anointed candidate of the incumbent Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong.”
Pwajok asked, “Was there an officially approved interstate transfer of staff by the commission’s headquarters? If there was, why will INEC be insensitive to redeploy staff of the commission from Benue State to Plateau, particularly those who served under Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC Governorship candidate of Plateau State?
“Giving this concern, has INEC stopped being the unbiased and neutral umpire? Are there interests by the communication which necessitated the transfer of these set of staff that served under Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, their former boss, all to the same state where he is on the ballot.?
“These deployments by the commission has caused apprehension and raised doubts on the neutrality of he commission.”
Pwajok praised INEC for the introduction of the Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) which is considered as the game changer for a free, fair and credible election and said the department which is entrusted with this responsibility should be neutral, trusted and devoid of bias.
He further raised fundamental questions, “Why should Engr. Umar Mohamuud Muhammad be deployed to superintend over the ICT Department of the Commission in Plateau State, where his immediate past boss, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda is on the ballot?.
“The same Engr. Umar Mamuud Muhammad who is alleged to be a close ally of the APC gubernatorial candidate. We consider this sudden deployment by INEC as premeditated and preplanned and can compromise the integrity and credibility of the electoral process on Plateau.”
He raised the concerned over the activities of certain unscrupulous elements who are going round collecting Voter Identification Number (VIN) of unsuspecting voters especially in rural areas which are PDP strong holds in the state and urged the people to resist the temptation of selling their PVCs for a plate of food.
“To buttress our concerns, a serving member of the National Assembly and candidate of the APC in the coming election for Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency recently boasted that the APC Governorship Candidate Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda in 2019, as a serving Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State was instrumental in ensuring that the APC won in Kanke LGA. Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda’s home LGA. Could this deployment be an attempt to replicate such on a large scale.? He asked.
Pwajok called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately redeploy Engr. Umar Mamuud Muhammad and others who were hurriedly deployed to Plateau, to be immediately redeployed out of the state to redeem itself as a neutral and unbiased umpire.
“We are ready to monitor and examine the electoral process, the deployment of sensitive and non sensitive materials, and monitor the performance of all gadgets for forensic review.”
He called on INEC to ensure that the neutrality of the commission is restored to repose confidence on the electoral process.
