INEC Chairman Declines Comments on Edo Election

From John Shiklam in Kaduna.

Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Wednesday declined comments on the recent Edo governorship election.

Yakubu who spoke in an interview with journalists shortly after the Convocation lecture and Award ceremony of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, said the occasion was for academics and not for elections, saying he could only talk on academic issues.

Asked to comment on his experience outside the academia, ‎especially in the light of the recent governorship election in Edo state and the allegations that INEC and not the All Progressives Congress (APC) contested the elections with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yakubu maintained that the occasion was not about elections and declined to respond to the question.

“This is not about elections, today’s occasion is about academia, it is about honour so let’s talk about the NDA” he said.

‎The INEC chairman who was among former staff of the NDA who were given award during the convocation lecture said he was elated to be honoured by the institution.

I am so elated ‎(to be honoured), it was never expected while serving in the academy and mark you I am still on leave of absence, I haven’t left the academy, I never expected that I would be so honoured, that is what makes it very special. It is even more special because other colleagues if mine were also honoured.

“So it is a special day for us and we are most grateful to the academy and we will continue to do our best as long as we continue to serve this great institution” he said.