The Yoruba Afenifere Youths Organisation, YAYON, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint the next chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from the Southwest.
It made the appeal ahead of the exit next month of the incumbent INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, at the expiration of his 10 years tenure.
In a statement by its President, Comrade Eric Oluwole, YAYON noted that from the First Republic to date, the Southwest has been excluded from superintending over the nation’s electoral body successively named the Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO; National Electoral Commission of Nigeria, NECON; National Electoral Commission, NEC; or INEC.
According to the statement: “As sensitive as the national electoral commission is, the head of this body has rotated among only four of Nigeria’s four geo-political zones of Southsouth, Southeast, Northwest, and Northeast, to the exclusion of Southwest, and North-Central.
“Of the 12 chairmen since 1964, while the Southwest, and North-Central geo political zones of our Country have been left out, the Southsouth has produced, seven chairmen; three were appointed from the Southeast, and one each from the Northwest, and Northeast.
“Following is the data showing the heads of the national electoral body, and their regions since 1964:
1 Eyo Ita Esua 1964-1966 (Federal Electoral Commission / FEDECO) Cross River State (Efik, Calabar) South South
2 Michael Ani 1976-1979 (FEDECO) He came from what is now Cross River State ( South South)
3 Victor Ovie-Whiskey 1980-1983 (FEDECO) Delta State (Ohore-Uvwie, Ughelli) South South
4 Eme O. Awa 1987-1989 (NEC / NECON) South-East (he was Igbo) — born in Ohafia, etc.( South East )
5 Humphrey Nwosu 1989-1993 (NEC) Anambra State (Ajalli, Orumba North) ( South East)
6 Okon Edet Uya 1993 (NEC) — short tenure (June-Nov 1993) Akwa Ibom State( South South)
7 Sumner Dagogo-Jack 1994-1998 (NECON) Rivers State( South South)
8 Ephraim Ibukun Akpata 1998-2000 (INEC) Edo State ( South South)
9 Abel Guobadia 2000-2005 (INEC) Edo State (Benin, etc.) ( South South)
10 Maurice Iwu 2005-2010 (INEC) Imo State (South-East)
11 Attahiru Jega 2010-2015 (INEC) Kebbi State (North-West)
12 Mahmood Yakubu 2015-present (INEC) Bauchi State (North-East )
“From this table, it is glaring that the Southwest has been unjustly excluded from the chairmanship of the national electoral body, a most sensitive appointment in our democracy.
“It is in this wise, especially in the name of equity, fairness, and inclusivity, that the Yoruba Afenifere Youths Organisation, YAYON, hereby appeal strongly to His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to appoint the next INEC chairman from the Southwest.”
