Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has raised concerns over the current chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu.

The former governor suggested that if Yakubu had been in charge in 2015, the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not have been registered or won the general elections.

Amaechi made these comments during an appearance on Arise TV on Tuesday, June 3, night, praising the former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for overseeing a transparent electoral process that led to APC's registration and eventual victory, Leadership reported.

Amaechi was critical of the current INEC Chairman, stating,

“The current chairman of INEC, if he was the chairman of INEC in 2015, we would not have won. That’s an important point. May God bless (Attahiru) Jega. Because the ground rules were clear. The current chairman of INEC can only be compared to Iwu."

He went on to explain how Jega’s leadership allowed APC to register by meeting all the necessary requirements, while accusing the current INEC Chairman of being less accommodating.

“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,” Amaechi added.

Amaechi continued by alleging that under Mahmood Yakubu, INEC was already showing signs of bias, casting doubt on the transparency of elections in the country.

He stated,

“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."

He further compared the current state of the electoral system to that of the time under previous INEC Chairman, Maurice Iwu, and questioned whether the country’s electoral process was advancing or regressing, Punch reported.

“Then we came back 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,” he remarked.

The former minister expressed concern over what he perceived as a 'state capture' using electoral institutions as a machine for political advantage.

“There’s a state capture using the electoral institution as a machine,” Amaechi warned.

He added that this development threatened the integrity of the nation’s democratic process.

Amaechi’s statements add to the growing political conversation about the neutrality of electoral bodies in Nigeria, as critics continue to question the actions and influence of INEC’s current leadership.

Previously, Legit.ng reported that former presidential spokesperson Reuben Abati has cautioned President Bola Tinubu to be wary of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, following Wike’s recent verbal attacks on key political figures.

Speaking on The Morning Show on Arise Television on Tuesday, June 3, Abati criticised Wike for being “disrespectful and rude” towards those who played pivotal roles in his political rise.

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Source: Legit.ng