- Safiu Kehinde
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for ambassadorial role.
Atiku, in a statement on his official X handle on Thursday, joined other dissenting voices in condemning the nomination of Yakubu as he held that under no circumstances would he nominate the ex-INEC boss if he was to be the President.
He held that the nomination of Yakubu, who was accused of conducting one of the most disputed elections in Nigeria’s history, send a wrong message to the current INEC leadership.
“Let me state without ambiguity: under no circumstance would I, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, nominate the immediate past INEC Chairman for an ambassadorial position.
“Such a nomination raises serious concerns.
“It risks appearing as a quid pro quo rather than a recognition of merit. It presents terrible optics for an administration already struggling with credibility.
“It sends the wrong message to the current INEC leadership; that partisan, compromised, or poorly executed elections may ultimately be rewarded.” Atiku wrote.
The ex-Vice President further described his nomination as morally indefensible.
“And most importantly, it is morally indefensible for an umpire at the centre of one of the most disputed elections in our history to become a beneficiary of its outcome.
“This is not the path to strengthening our democracy or restoring public trust in our institutions.” He added.
NPO Reported that Yakubu’s inclusion in the list of over 65 ambassadorial nominees had sparked mixed reactions from members of the public and had largely been condemned by opposition figures.