President Muhammadu Buhari has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) against giving room for any ‘underhand trick’ and manipulation that will lead to the rigging of upcoming polls by any political party in the country.
The warning by the President is coming ahead of the January 25, 2020 rerun elections in 28 constituencies in 12 states of the federation.
Buhari, who met yesterday with INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and top officials of the electoral body, as well as the inspector-general of police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, at the State House, Abuja, told them that anybody declared as a winner must be the person duly elected by the people INEC will conduct a minimum of 28 rerun and by-elections this month in the affected states.
President Buhari, in a statement issued by his special adviser on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, told INEC to ensure that the game was played by the rules, without fear or favour.
He said: “Those that you declare as winners must be the candidates that the people have chosen. Democracy is about free will, and the will of the people must be allowed to prevail. Get your acts right, and leave no room for underhand tricks or manipulation.”
Buhari said that he was determined to give Nigeria an electoral system that meets with best practices anywhere in the world and further charged INEC to stick to the rules of fair play and justice.
To the police, President Buhari said that he wants nothing than “a scrupulous securing of the electoral process, without bias or favouritism.
“Our elections must be done in a violence-free atmosphere. The process must be free, fair, decent, and devoid of intimidation or malpractices. It is the duty of the police to accomplish that, and it is what I expect in the elections immediately ahead and going forward,” he said.
