UPDATED: CUPP Alleges Fresh Plot To Remove INEC Chairman, Deactivate BVAS, Jettison Electronic Results Transmission In 2023

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has raised the alarm over an alleged fresh plot to remove Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a bid to undermine the 2023 general election.

The CUPP, which comprises the majority of the opposition political parties in the country, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party, made the allegation during a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

The CUPP Chairman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who spoke on behalf of the opposition parties, said the coalition has also uncovered fresh plots to deactivate the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) from being used in the election and ultimately stop electronic transmission of results at the polls.

Ugochinyere alleged that the plot was being spearheaded by a top member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East region of the party.

The coalition had during its last press conference fingered Governor Hope Uzodimma of the Imo State in an alleged voter registration fraud in the state, prompting a response from INEC.

The CUPP chairman said the coalition intercepted intelligence of “a fresh plot against the 2023 election and this time being coordinated by leading figures of the ruling APC Party, APC Governors led by a South East APC Governor with controversial past and another from the North West who are working with their colleagues to perfect a plot to intimidate INEC leadership into abandoning the use of electronic transmission and uploading of election results to the INEC server, deactivation of the BIVAS machine from INEC server and the creation of crisis of confidence based on trumped up charges that will lead to the removal of top officials of the Commission including the INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood and other National Commissioners who are insisting on the use of the BIVAS for the 2023 election and the irreversible use of electronic transmission of the result.”

The statement partly reads: “This latest intelligence and shocking information involve the use of security agencies, the APC-controlled Senate, and the court to cause a leadership crisis and change that will see to the removal of the Commission’s top leadership led by Prof Mahmud Yakubu and the appointment of a pushover and compromised acting Chairman who will ruin the credibility of the 2023 election by deactivating the BVAS machine from INEC server, stop the use of electronic transmission of result and also ensure that the Commission’sCommission’s Resident Electoral Commissioners nominated by APC Governors are quickly approved and deployed to States where they will be of assistance to the ruling party at the expense of credible, free and fair elections. 

“We, the Chairmen and leaders of different political parties here (AA, LABOUR, PDP, ADC, APP ETC),  candidates of different parties, CSOS, and leaders of Opposition Coalition CUPP categorically state that any plan to destabilize INEC and force the top officials of the Commission including the INEC Chairman out of office, whether with trumped-up charges, manipulated security report, instigated or coordinated parliamentary investigation, a hurriedly obtained injunction from the court, a Code of Conduct Bureau inquiry or an arrest and hurried arraignment will not be accepted. We repeat, these will not be accepted by Nigerian political parties, party leaders, civil societies, and the generality of Nigerians.

“Any further actions in this direction will be playing with fire and a direct affront and challenge to Nigerian voters and the entire political parties, and it will be resisted vehemently.

Read the mind, eyes, soul, and heart and hear the voice of the opposition. It will not augur well for anyone who continues with this alleged evil plot.

“We have been tipped off by our intelligence both inside APC and the camp of the Governors in the conspiracy, and we can state that the opposition is in receipt of information that the INEC leadership, especially senior officials, are being put under immense pressure to abandon the use of the BVAS machine, result transmission and in particular to deactivate the BIVAS from the server, an alleged dangerous request which if ever granted under any circumstances can throw Nigeria into pre and post-election crisis and will be unacceptable to Nigerian voters, especially the youths who have renewed confidence in the electoral process.

“We are also informed that there is a plot to cause a leadership change in the Commission’s top hierarchy and cause a sweeping change with less than 140 days to the elections. The alleged plan to remove Prof. Mahmud Yakubu and top officials of INEC is a no-go area. The political parties in the county will not accept it. This alleged plot has been coordinated by some APC chieftains and Governors led by a controversial South East APC Governor. If this plot is not crushed, it can discredit our election and throw Nigeria into crisis. Our institution can’t be destroyed for one man’s quest or a group of people to keep what was hijacked from the people.

“Nigeria political parties chairmen, leaders, chieftains of opposition CUPP, AA, Labour, PDP, APP, ADC etc, will not accept, and we repeat, accept any plan to stop the electronic transmission of results,  use of BVAS. we will not accept or agree for any election to be conducted without electronic transmission of results, we will resist any person or plot to deactivate the BVAS from the INEC server, we will resist any hurriedly or arranged plot to force, blackmail, use trump up charges, cooked up security report or any method to force the INEC chairman or any of his commissioners out of office. know it today, opposition and political party leaders and Nigerian voters are aware, ready, and united to defend the electoral process.

“Repeat with us,  no BVAS – no election,  no server – no election, no electronic result transmission – no election, any destabilisation or illegal move to force commission top officials, including INEC chair – no election. those who think that they can manipulate institutions of the state, both judicial and others, to sneak into power should know that 2023 is the people’s turn, and we will defend it with all our hearts.

“Any attempt to reenact the Onnoghen formula by a few desperate APC Leaders and Governors who know that they, as well as their sponsored candidates, are now unelectable will not work. The plan to destroy the only ray of hope for our election represented by the electronic devices that will also transmit results electronically, especially BIVAS will be resisted.”