With current INEC, no one can vote out Tinubu – Amaechi

Says Jega opened the door for APC victory in 2015.

Former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has taken a swipe at the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, saying that with him in office, no one can vote out incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In an interview, the two-time minister under the Muhammadu Buhari administration likened Prof Yakubu to former INEC Chairman, Prof Maurice Iwu. Iwu served as the Chairman of the electoral body from June 2005 to April 2010.
During his tenure, he conducted the 2007 Nigerian Presidential Election which was won by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP).

The 2007 Presidential election was widely criticized both locally and internationally and even by its greatest beneficiary, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, for widespread irregularities, logistical failures, and allegations of rigging.

Despite the controversy, however, the election led to the first civilian-to-civilian transition of power in Nigeria’s history — from President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Maurice Iwu was removed from office in April 2010 by then President Goodluck Jonathan, who appointed Prof Attahiru Jega to oversee the 2011 presidential election. Under Jega’s watch, former President Jonathan went on to lose the 2015 presidential election to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.

In Amaechi’s words, “The current chairman of INEC, if he were the chairman in 2015, we would not have won. That’s an important point.
“May God bless Jega. It’s a very interesting point. Because the ground rules were clear.
“The current chairman of INEC can only be compared to Iwu. When we were to register APC, Jega opened the door and we complied with the registration requirements. He got APC registered.

“The current man, if you comply with all these, he would not register you. Already INEC is biased. So, the only thing I can tell you now is that looking at the way Nigeria has run the election, even the option A4 led us forward. At least a lot of transparency.

“You were sure of what was going on. Then we came to meet people like Iwu and others and the current one and things got worse.
So, you don’t know whether to say we are progressing or we are regressing… there’s a state capture using the electoral institution as a machine.”

He described Jega as “a man of conscience” and said Yakubu had already made it clear he would not register new political parties.
“Already he (Yakubu) is stopping parties from being registered. Already, INEC has taken sides. INEC is no longer the umpire,” he said.

Amaechi spoke to Arise Television, where he also criticised the Tinubu administration for “disobeying the constitution and stifling opposition parties”.
“One funny thing about the current government is that they don’t even obey laws. They don’t obey the constitution. They’re not allowing the opposition to register political parties,” he said.

Amaechi took Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister, Nyesom Wike to task, saying he(Wike) was once his chief of staff and therefore ranks beneath him politically. He was reacting to Wike’s remarks that he(Amaechi) lacked political influence to help the opposition unseat President Tinubu.

At his 60th birthday celebration last week, Amaechi had, among other things, remarked that just like millions of Nigerians, he is “hungry,” leading to a sharp riposte from Wike, who said Amaechi is only hungry for power.
But Amaechi dismissed Wike’s remarks, insisting he would not join issues with him because “I was once his boss. Whether he likes it or not, I hired him. I could have said no.”

The former minister raised concerns about the use of funds saved from the removal of petroleum subsidies.
“The president removed the subsidy. Where is the money?” he asked.
“The president removed the subsidy on electricity. It got to a point where oil subsidies got to N8 trillion.

“If we deploy N8 trillion into this economy now, it will feel the impact. Let me also tell you, do we need the coastal road in the manner that it was awarded? Yes, the south-south needs the road. But fix the east-west road. I don’t know how many trillions. If we deploy that money to the economy, it will change our lives. Who is collecting that money? The president needs to tell us,” he said.