Erring State’s Institutions Must Account – Oshiomhole

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), has said it was time to hold accountable, any state institutions that strive to weaken democracy.

Oshiomhole spoke on Monday at the opening of the meeting of the caucus of APC in Abuja to deliberate on the rescheduled elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari was in a position to call such institutions to order.

Accusing INEC for having hidden agenda in the general elections, he said: “We must insist that elections should not be compromised and the Residents Electoral Commissioners (REC) that have compromised the elections should be made to account.’’

He said that APC would formally forward a letter to the Chairman of INEC. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to extract explanations to some vexing issues arising from the postponement of the elections.

For instance, INEC reported it was reconfiguring 180,000 card readers meant for 176,000 polling units, thus calling to question if the remaining 4,000 were enough to cope with emergencies.

He accused INEC of trying to deliberately deny the ruling APC of votes in its stronghold, explaining that the electoral body should have made provision for additional 176,000 card readers for emergency.

Oshiomhole asked INEC to explain what it was doing differently to address the sample ballot papers and result sheets already in public domain.

He said that INEC should tell Nigerians what it was doing between now and Saturday when the presidential and NASS elections would be conducted.

“INEC violated our confidence and must try to convince us to regain it,’’ he said.

He also said that APC would continue campaign as INEC had no power to ban campaigns said the action was illegal and unconstitutional.

“We are entitled to resume campaign until 24 hours to the elections.’’