Founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Anap Foundation, Atedo Peterside, has strongly criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under its former chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, describing it as a national disgrace.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Peterside accused the previous INEC leadership of gross inconsistencies and manipulation of election results.
“I would never say never. But the INEC left by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu was a national disgrace. If you have time, you just have to go on the IReV. I can take you there myself and show you result sheets which they manipulated. Sometimes they changed figures and forgot to change the words. This didn’t add up at all,” he said.
When asked about his expectations from the new INEC chairman, Joash Amupitan, ahead of the Anambra and Ekiti off-cycle elections, Peterside expressed cautious optimism but urged the new leadership to rebuild public confidence through transparency and fairness.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Kenneth Udeze, has debunked reports that a Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, delivered a contempt judgment against Yakubu.
In a statement issued on Monday, Udeze said the party never sued Yakubu and never authorised anyone to do so, describing the reports as false, misleading, and politically motivated.
“On the issue of the purported court order against the former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, I want Nigerians to disregard such false rumours, as there’s no such judgement,” Udeze clarified.
