The Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu has questioned the moral justification of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to call for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.
Oshiomhole has during the NEC meeting of the APC spoken tough about the commission and asked the Chairman to step down.
But in a counter reaction, the Minister, who spoke to newsmen at his residence in Ibadan, said removal of the INEC boss at this critical time may cause havoc and more damage.
Shittu accused Oshiomhole of talking tough about Yakubu after he oversaw the most controversial and fraudulent primaries in the history of the APC.
“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?” he asked.
“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.”
It will be recalled that the National leadership of the APC screened out Shittu from gubernatorial contest after it was revealed that he skipped the mandatory National Youth Service Corps.
