November 02, (THEWILL) – Speculations of a plan to remove the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and stop the use of the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS), in the 2023 general elections “does not make sense”, Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, has said.
Adesina spoke at a policy dialogue programme organised to mark the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI), in Abuja, on Tuesday.
The policy dialogue, themed “Media, Civil Society and Violence-free Election in Nigeria”, was organised by the Ministry of Justice, Kano State Government and Managing Conflict in Nigeria Programme.
The Presidential aide advised journalists not to give attention to people with hiding intentions to disrupt the 2023 general elections by spreading rumours.
“Recently, there was one group that said the chairman of INEC was going to be removed because maybe they didn’t want BVAS.
“How many times has the President spoken about the role of technology in getting him into office? He has spoken about it locally, internationally that three times he contested three times he ended at the Supreme Court because the government of the day will just write results.
“Then he said until technology came and there was a permanent voter cards and so it was difficult to write results.
“So, how and why can the same person has issues with BVAS? I saw that group on television, alleging that there was plan to remove the INEC Chairman and the media gave them that opportunity.
“Such things should be treated with contradictions because they don’t make sense, at least not under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari”, he said.
Adesina said that just on Monday, Buhari at a meeting in Imo, also gave a matching order to police to ensure the 2023 general election is credible.
“If you are going to rig elections, of course, the police will be critical in rigging it and here you hear the president saying at every opportunity that don’t rig election”, Adesina said, adding that Buhari has always emphasised his commitment to credible elections.
