The director General of Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, has demanded for the prompt dismissal and prosecution of the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu.
Osuntokun while addressing an international press conference at the party’s campaign headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, July 13, called for Yakubu’s dismissal based on the role he played in the 2023 presidential elections, in addition, he demanded the commencement of a forensic financial investigation into the expenditure of budgeted disbursements and donors’ funds received by INEC, pre and post-election.
The Labour Party further condemned the APC spokesperson for alleged intimidatory moves melted on the European Union (EU) and other 2023 Election observers, which is an opposite of the reception the international observers experienced for their previous reports during the 2019 Elections.
They admonished the International community to take instant action against Prof Mahmood Yakubu, Barrister Festus Okoye and other top administrative and field staff of INEC who are accomplices in perpetrating injustice and election malpractice in the past 2023 elections.
The statement read;
“We demand unequivocally, the immediate dismissal from Ofiice and prosecution of Prof Mahmud Yakubu and the commencement of forensic financial investigation into the expenditure of budgeted disbursements and donors’ funds received by INEC.
“This is in addition to the N300 billion appropriated from the national purse as well as other funds and materials received from International donor Agencies.
“The Labour Party and the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation condemn vehemently, the negative and jaundiced responses on the EU Report and other Election Observers’ reports, by the spokesperson of APC administration and other ill-informed persons, which are totally in discord, with the mood of the nation, at this time, and which also, present an embarrassing contrast, to their selective celebration of the 2019 Election reports, from these same Observer groups.
“It is now only logical, bolstered by the final Observer Group reports, that the International Community take immediate and appropriate punitive action against Prof Mahmood Yakubu, Barrister Festus Okoye, and other top administrative and field staff of INEC, directly complicit, in the desecration of these elections.
“We advise those who have deployed hired ‘protesters’ to the offices of the EU, in respect of their election report, to desist from any further wastage of public funds, as the objective of intimidation is without basis, and has failed, from the beginning – because indeed, the irregularities in the election, were so excessively glaring, with bitter personal and reported experiences, by the overwhelming majority of Nigerians”.
