SAN FRANCISCO, November 09, (THEWILL) – President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, alongside the commissioners, to uphold the rule of law and shun external influences.
The president gave the charge at a brief swearing-in ceremony for the INEC officials at the council chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari told them not to allow themselves to be unduly influenced as they would be held accountable, saying, “The nation has reposed a lot of trust and confidence in you. You cannot afford to fail.”
The Council of States had at its meeting last month, confirmed the appointment of the new INEC chairman and five national commissioners for the electoral body.
The commissioners include: Amina Zakari, northwest; Anthonia Okoosi-Simbine, north central; Baba Shettima Arfo, northeast, Soyebi Adedeji Solomon, southwest, and Mohammed Mustafa Lecky, South-South.
Pledging to respect the independence of the Commission and not interfere with its operations, Buhari said the change the All Progressives Congress (APC) government promised Nigerians in the last electioneering campaign would be all embracing.
“It starts from change of attitudes, change of work ethics, change in attitude to corruption and corrupt practices, change of party political conduct – right from primaries to the emergence of candidates and finally the conduct of elections,” he said.
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