With just about every moneybag in the land–including Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor–declaring an interest in becoming the nation’s next President, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that calls for its Chairman Mahmood Yakubu to join the 2023 race, are jokes taken too far.
The race for Nigeria’s Presidency looks like an all comers one at the moment, with at least 18 chieftains from within the governing APC, picking up the party’s over-priced presidential forms at a whopping cost of N100 million.
With the entire aspiration process resembling something of a circus ahead of the 2023 vote, social media users have called on the boss of electoral umpire INEC, to hurl his hat into the ring as well.
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“Our attention has been drawn to innuendos in certain quarters that Nigerians should not be surprised if the INEC Chairman joins the Presidential race or urging him to do so. It is a preposterous proposition. It will not happen,” a statement from Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, reads.
The statement adds that: “The Chairman remains an umpire committed to free, fair and credible elections.
“His constitutional responsibilities as the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation and Returning Officer for the presidential election are onerous enough for him to even contemplate straying into extraneous matters at variance with the law, morality and his personal principles.
“The Chairman will continue to discharge his responsibilities without affection for, or ill will against, any political party or candidate.”
CBN Governor Emefiele has received knocks for his rumoured presidential bid since the turn of the year.
