The Director of News, Arise News, Sumner Sambo, has advised the presidency not to appoint a new Independent National Electoral Commission INEC) chairman in a hurry.
Sambo gave the advice on Wednesday when he featured on ‘Prime Time’, a programme on Arise Television.
He warned that Institutional reforms must be put in place before considering who will lead the electoral body.
His comments are coming barely 24 hours after Prof Mahmood Yakubu bowed out as chairman of the electoral body and handed over to May Agbamuche in acting capacity.
“Mahmood and Jega stepping down as INEC chairmen respectively should give us time to reflect on who will be the next chairman
“The presidency should not be too hasty in looking at who they will bring without ensuring institutional reforms are put in place,” he said.
Sambo also dismissed the claim that the president asked Yakubu to step aside, stressing that the president does not have the power to do that.
Meanwhile, the outgoing Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, has explained that his decision to bow out of office was to allow the appointment of a new helmsman to take charge of Nigeria’s electoral body.
Naijaonpoint had earlier reported that Yakubu officially handed over on Tuesday to a national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who now assumes office as Acting Chairman of INEC.
The brief handover ceremony took place at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja during a consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners.
Addressing the gathering, Yakubu said stepping aside became necessary given the enormous task ahead for INEC, especially as the country prepares for fresh electoral activities.
He said, “I have taken a decision and conveyed the same as provided by Section 36, Subsections 1 and 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.
“In the interim, I am handing over to one of the most senior national commissioners by date of appointment. Following consultation with other national commissioners, Ms May Agbamuche-Mbu will serve in acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman of the commission.
“I hope that this will afford the appointing authorities adequate time to appoint a new chairman. It will also enable the new chairman to quickly settle down to the task of conducting elections and electoral activities in Africa’s most demographically and logistically complex environment.”
Yakubu, who served as INEC chairman for 10 years, expressed gratitude to members of the commission, the RECs, political parties, the media, security agencies and Nigerians for their support.
“Together, we innovated and managed the commission’s enormous responsibilities, sometimes on the verge of breaking down,” he recalled.
He also thanked the National Assembly, the National Peace Committee, civil society, the labour unions, and development partners, adding, “Above all, I thank Nigerians for their comments as well as criticisms which encouraged rather than discouraged us to persevere.”
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