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Underage Voting: PDP Rejects INEC’s Investigative Panel

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PDP logo (File Photo)

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) has rejected the eight-member committee put in place by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to investigate the existence of underaged voters in its register, Premium Times reports.

The committee, set up the INEC chairman, Prof.  Mahmood Yakubu has a mandate to investigate the allegations of underage voting generated by the footage which emerged showing underaged persons voting at the recent local government polls in Kano.

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Naija News understands Yakubu noted the aim is not to investigate the outcome of the Kano State election but the “allegation of underaged voters who voted using the commission’s register.”

However, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Sunday, the PDP questioned why Katsina state would be excluded from the scope of coverage for the committee.

“Nigerians have been wondering why INEC is afraid of looking at its register in Katsina State. Is it because Katsina is the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari and a probe is likely to expose cans of worms?

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“Is INEC afraid that a sanitised register would lead to a massive drop in the voting population in the state and cripple APC’s rigging plan?

“Nigerians are also wondering why INEC has vehemently refused to include other stakeholders, including political parties, credible NGOs and Civil Society Organisations in this important assignment to guarantee its credibility.

“We hold that by excluding other stakeholders, INEC is definitely not sincere with the sanitisation of INEC voters’ register in Kano, Katsina and other states where, out of intimidation, it is allowing the registration of minors.”

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“INEC under Prof. Yakubu is already manifesting weaknesses and bias, which further confirms why it should not be trusted in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

“Consequently, the PDP and all aligning stakeholders will not accept any findings or recommendations from INEC’s in-house committee, as such will not reflect the reality on the ground regarding the contaminated register.

“Furthermore, we insist that INEC must be bold enough to extend the inquest to Katsina state as well as other states where minors were registered unless it wants the world to believe that it had already caved into pressure ahead of the 2019 general elections. At any rate, who enjoys the company of fleas like one with an open sore.”

“Prof. Yakubu must understand that his allegiance is to Nigeria and not the APC. INEC under him must not lose its credibility or be reduced to an annex of the APC and it’s failed Presidency, as such would be resisted.

“Indeed, Nigerians would not accept anything short of a credible, free and fair general elections in 2019 and any attempt by any one to pander towards the rejected APC with a view to subvert the determined will of the people will have himself to blame.”

Naija News recalls INEC and the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), have been at logger heads since the footage of alleged underage voting surfaced online during the 2018 local government elections in Kano.