…commends court, over declaring INEC boss’ assets legal

By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

A nonprofit organization, One Love Foundation, OLF, Thursday, cautioned security agencies ahead of next month’s general election of not being used by unscrupulous elements to truncate democracy.

This was stated by the Founder and President, OLF, and also Director of Contact and Mobilization of the Diaspora, Chief Patrick Eholor, while reacting to a High Court judgment in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, declaring assets belonging to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu legal on Wednesday.

According to originating summons marked FCT/HC/GAR/CV/47/2022 by Somadina Uzoabaka against the Attorney General of the Federation and the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Claimant sought among other things an order of mandatory injunction directing and compelling the INEC Chairman to recuse, excuse and exclude himself and/or step down as the Chairman of INEC pending the investigation and consideration of the various allegations against him by the various law enforcement agencies.

It was also learnt that the Claimant sought an order of Court barring the INEC Chairman from holding or assuming any public office for a period of 10 years.

However, based on Yakubu’s counter-claim against the Claimant that he furnished the Court with several exhibits showed sources of money for the purchase of the properties which the Claimant alleged were illegally acquired and insisted that his assets declarations were validly done, in a judgment by Justice M. A. Hassan, he found that the declaration of assets by Prof. Yakubu was lawful, valid and in compliance with the law and that “he cannot be investigated by any of the security agencies listed by the Claimant that should all investigate him.”

Eholor said: “We must avoid distractions at this critical time in our nation’s democracy. The act of using the state against its citizens should stop. I am happy that the judiciary over the months has proven that they are the last hope of the common man.

“Since the our intelligence discovery of plans to compel INEC chairman to stop the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System in the 2023 general elections, these evil politicians have not rested, they looking for non-existing faults.

“First, it was the CBN Governor because of the cash limit policy and now the INEC Chairman. The security agencies are a disappointment, at a time the masses need their protection and help the most, they are busy collecting bribes and serving the interest of the evil politicians.”

He also called on the INEC boss not to be deterred at all despite some politicians allegedly using security agents to intimidate him.

“It is already happening. Prof Yakubu should not be deterred by their distractions. He should put Nigeria and the interest of Nigerians before the interest of some selfish politicians mortgaging the future of our youths”, he said.

However, he (Eholor) called on President Muhammadu Buhari to leave an enduring legacy as his predecessor Former President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015.

“President Muhammadu Buhari must keep to his words of conducting free and fair elections in 2023.

“He has said it severally that he wants to leave a legacy for Nigerians — which is free, fair and credible elections. The president must resist the temptation of compromising on that.

Meanwhile, on assessing the ongoing electoral process he said, “We are seeing a process a process that is difficult to predict who the outright winner would be.

“It is a sign of improvement compared to the past when the ruling is adjudged to be favorite, and it shows that the process is improving.”