Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Timi Frank, on Monday charged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the Chief of Army Staff, Buratai to prove their neutrality in the upcoming February 16 and March 2nd elections by allowing for a free, fair and credible elections.
He said rather than the military intimidating him by calling for his arrest, they should tell Nigerians if Buratai did or did not attend a midnight meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday.
Frank also called on Yakubu to tell Nigerians if it was by coincidence that he has was spotted on a national television wearing a cap with APC’s broom symbol which was nothing but a clear display of his undisguised support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid.
In a statement he signed and forwarded to DAILY POST, Frank said: “I cannot be intimidated. I am not afraid of being arrested. Nigeria needs free, fair and credible elections necessary to ensure peace, sustain democracy and national development.
“Let me add that INEC owes Nigerians and the world a sacred duty to allow votes during the forthcoming elections to count rather that its Chairman openly taking sides by attending suspicious meetings with PMB and wearing APC’s campaign symbols.
“Let Mahmood Yakubu prove to Nigerians that he is not pro-APC by allowing for transparency and impartiality of his staff during the presidential and National Assembly Elections on Saturday 16th February and the Governorship and State Assembly elections on March 2nd.
“Let the Chief of Army Staff prove to Nigerians that the military has no role in the forthcoming elections by stoping his men from being used to intimidate and arrest opposition leaders or aid the rigging in favour of the APC.
“Let the COAS tell Nigerians that the ongoing massive deployment of military personnel to opposition strongholds across the country is not meant to intimidate opposition leaders in order to pave the way for the APC to unduly win as they did during the Ekiti and Osun states gubernatorial elections.
“I stand by my statement on the highly suspicious midnight meeting with PMB and his top aides. No amount of threat or intimidation will stop me from raising the alarm when actions inimical to the peaceful and successful conduct of the forthcoming elections come to play.
“Let me once again call on INEC to conduct free, fair and credible elections on February 16 and March 2, 2019. I also urge the miltary to steer clear politics by concentrating on their core constitutional mandate before, during and after the 2019 elections.”
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