Civil Society Organisations have alleged that there is a grand plot to replace the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and six Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) with loyal party members ahead of the 2027 elections.
They set the political move which had been set in motion would be actualised in six months time when Yakubu and the six RECs would have served out their statutory terms.
The stakeholders made this known Tuesday in Abuja at the conference of thought leaders on civic space, poverty and elections in Nigeria, organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) in partnership with Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA).
Speaking, Professor of Political Science at the University of Lagos and a former commissioner in the National Election Commission (NEC), Prof. Adele Jinadu, said in the next six months, the CSOs must be vigilant to oppose and prevent appointment of loyal party members in the electoral body.
Jinadu stated: “I’m saying this now, because I can clearly see attempts to invade INEC. You don’t want to say it, forgive me but those of us who have our ears on the ground, we know that process is going on now, and we have seen images of it already.
“In the next six months, by November, the present leadership of INEC will have to step aside. I think we need to be vigilant and prevent that from happening.
“The only way we can prevent that is to make sure that if and when that happens and we know those who are partisan politicians who are going to be INEC Commissioners.”
On his part, a Professor of Political Science and Director Centre for Democracy and Development, Jibrin Ibrahim, urged Nigerians to resist their votes being stolen in 2027.
He said as the country moves towards 2027, Nigerians must stand up and be counted.
Ibrahim noted: “The first solution, as I said, is that we as Nigerians must mobilise ourselves to prevent our votes from being stolen and that can be done. That is my primary emphasis.
“If we keep on appealing to them, they will just be laughing at us. We’ll pass a law, we’ll change the Constitution, but they will still keep behaving the way they are behaving,” Ibrahim noted.
“So the first primary concern for me is that Nigerians must stand up and be counted as we move towards 2027.”
Earlier, the Executive Director of Centre LSD, Monday Osasah, said the goal of the conference was to enhance democratic governance, social protection, and electoral integrity in Nigeria.