An elder statesman, Buba Galadima, has accused some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of pressurising the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, not to use the Bimodal Voter Registration System, BVAS, to transmit results in 2023.
Galadima, who is a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), disclosed this on Friday during speaking with Channels Television.
Mr Galadima said APC chieftains are pressuring Yakubu to shun election results’ electronic upload.
Galadima said Yakubu was under pressure not to use the Bimodal Voter Registration System, BVAS, to transmit results in 2023.
He said APC chieftains are pressurizing the INEC Chairman to write the National Assembly on the need to ignore BVAS during the 2023 elections.
Galadima also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take cognizance of APC members trying to smear his image after he leaves office.
According to Galadima: “INEC chairman is under extensive pressure to tamper with the Electoral Act because the ruling party wanted to table an issue before the National Assembly such that they will force the Chairman to write to National Assembly that it should not be compelling INEC to use the BVAS machine and this is the greatest disservice and an unpatriotic thing some elements in the ruling party are trying to put forward.
“They want to amend the Electoral Act, therefore, I want the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to take note of some bad elements that want to smear his image when he leaves office.”
Galadima also reiterated that the NNPP’s presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, would emerge victorious in 2023.
He pointed out that Kwankwaso has one of the largest supporters among other presidential candidates.
Recall that INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu had earlier assured Nigerians that the commissions will transmission of election results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real-time for the 2023 elections.
Mahmood Yakubu gave the assurances on Wednesday during the Commission’s quarterly meeting with political parties for the year 2022 in Abuja.
“On this note, let me once again reassure Nigerians that there is no going back on the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation.
“There is no going back on the transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real-time on Election Day,” he noted.
“There will be no Incident Form that enables ineligible persons to vote using other people’s Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) during elections. We are committed to ensuring that the 2023 General Election is transparent and credible, reflecting the will of the Nigerian people.”, he assured Nigerians.
