*THERE IS A NEW ALLEGED PLOT TO STOP THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS, DEACTIVATE THE BIVAS FROM THE INEC SERVER, AND FORCE OUT INEC TOP OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THE CHAIRMAN
PROTOCOLS
Let me start by welcoming the media community, members and non-members of the opposition coalition, our friends in the Civil Societies, distinguished Chairmen and representatives of Political parties, heads of different political associations here, etc.
Thank you all here for coming, and thank you all who are watching us live as we are being transmitted live by AIT, Arise TV, and numerous streaming platforms.
To save time, permit us to go straight to the point.
The Chairmen of Nigeria Political Parties, Opposition Coalition CUPP, and Heads of Political associations have intercepted intelligence of an alleged fresh plot against the 2023 election and this time being coordinated by leading figures of the ruling APC Party, APC Governors led by a South East APC Governor with controversial past and another from the North West who are working with their colleagues to perfect a plot to intimidate INEC leadership into abandoning the use of electronic transmission and uploading of election results to the INEC server, deactivation of the BIVAS machine from INEC server and the creation of crisis of confidence based on trumped up charges that will lead to the removal of top officials of the Commission including the INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood and other National Commissioners who are insisting on the use of the BIVAS for the 2023 election and the irreversible use of electronic transmission of the result.
This latest intelligence and shocking information involve the use of security agencies, the APC-controlled Senate, and the court to cause a leadership crisis and change that will see to the removal of the Commission’s top leadership led by Prof Mahmud Yakubu and the appointment of a pushover and compromised acting Chairman who will ruin the credibility of the 2023 election by deactivating the BVAS machine from INEC server, stop the use of electronic transmission of result and also ensure that the Commission’sCommission’s Resident Electoral Commissioners nominated by APC Governors are quickly approved and deployed to States where they will be of assistance to the ruling party at the expense of credible, free and fair elections.
We, the Chairmen and leaders of different political parties here (AA, LABOUR, PDP, ADC, APP ETC), candidates of different parties, CSOS, and leaders of Opposition Coalition CUPP categorically state that any plan to destabilize INEC and force the top officials of the Commission including the INEC Chairman out of office, whether with trumped-up charges, manipulated security report, instigated or coordinated parliamentary investigation, a hurriedly obtained injunction from the court, a Code of Conduct Bureau inquiry or an arrest and hurried arraignment will not be accepted. We repeat, these will not be accepted by Nigerian political parties, party leaders, civil societies, and the generality of Nigerians.
Any further actions in this direction will be playing with fire and a direct affront and challenge to Nigerian voters and the entire political parties, and it will be resisted vehemently.
Read the mind, eyes, soul, and heart and hear the voice of the opposition. It will not augur well for anyone who continues with this alleged evil plot.
We have been tipped off by our intelligence both inside APC and the camp of the Governors in the conspiracy, and we can state that the opposition is in receipt of information that the INEC leadership, especially senior officials, are being put under immense pressure to abandon the use of the BVAS machine, result transmission and in particular to deactivate the BIVAS from the server, an alleged dangerous request which if ever granted under any circumstances can throw Nigeria into pre and post-election crisis and will be unacceptable to Nigerian voters, especially the youths who have renewed confidence in the electoral process.
We are also informed that there is a plot to cause a leadership change in the Commission’s top hierarchy and cause a sweeping change with less than 140 days to the elections. The alleged plan to remove Prof. Mahmud Yakubu and top officials of INEC is a no-go area. The political parties in the county will not accept it. This alleged plot has been coordinated by some APC chieftains and Governors led by a controversial South East APC Governor. If this plot is not crushed, it can discredit our election and throw Nigeria into crisis. Our institution can’t be destroyed for one man’s quest or a group of people to keep what was hijacked from the people.
