The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has said it is seriously perturbed by recent developments surrounding the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in the internal affairs and leadership disputes within opposition parties in Nigeria, particularly its role in the emergence of a new chairman in the Social Democratic Party, SDP, without any clear basis or court directive.

MCE, a coalition of leaders of the organised civil society in Nigeria, noted that it strongly frowns at what it referred to as the strange imposition of a new chairman, Sheu Gabam, on the SDP, as Gabam, who had been suspended, investigated and dismissed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the SDP was suddenly uploaded on INEC portal as the national chairman of the SDP two weeks ago.

It will be recalled that following the suspension and subsequent expulsion of Gabam, Prof Sadiq Abubakar Gombe was appointed by the NEC of the SDP as the acting national chairman and Prof Gombe had been functioning in the capacity of the Acting National Chairman for months with full recognition by the INEC, which monitored the SDP NEC meeting, which upheld the report of the investigation against Gabam and found him guilty of gross mismanagement of party funds and related matters bothering on abuse of trust before appointing Prof Gombe as chairman.

“However, throughout his suspension and investigation, Gabam reportedly refused to respond to the allegations against him, neither did he go to court to challenge these allegations or the disciplinary action against him by the Party. Therefore, the sudden appearance of his name on the INEC platform as the national chairman of the SDP is a big surprise to both members of the SDP and the public,” a statement on Saturday by the MCE Media Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, said.

“It’s also interesting to note that in spite of the letters written by the party to INEC to request for clarification on this strange development, no concrete reason has come out of INEC on the matter. The only insinuation that has emerged from the INEC is that the Commission took the decision based on a judgment delivered by Justice Mrs Wike on a suit filed by an aggrieved aspirant over the SDP Governorship Primaries dispute in Ekiti state.

“Meanwhile, a close perusal of Madam Wike’s judgment shows that Shehu Gabam was not even a party to the case, neither was his name mentioned anywhere in the Appeal Court judgment on the Ekiti SDP Governorship primary election and neither Gabam nor the INEC went to any court of law to secure an order to warrant Gabam’s imposition on the SDP after he has been duly suspended and dismissed from the Party on grounds of fraud and misappropriation of Party funds.

“Again, while the National Working Committee (NWC) of the SDP were waiting for responses from letters written to the INEC on this sudden imposition of Gabam on them as chairman: To the shock of all public decency, Gabam in Company one Major Al Mustapha, former chief security officer, CSO to Nigeria’s former dictator, Late General Sanni Abacha invaded the SDP National Secretariat on Thursday morning with truckloads of police and other thugs, pulled down the gate, tear gassed and pushed out everyone from the SDP Secretariat and took over the premises.

“Presently, all the remaining members of the SDP National Working Committee are now hounded out of the Party Secretariat, while Gabam has now assumed the role of a sole administrator apparently installed by the INEC in spite of the fact that other National Working Committee members of the Party approved the disciplinary action against Gabam. Though other members of the NWC are all still recognized on the INEC platform as the legitimate members of the SDP NWC, the raw show of office by state security who forced Gabam and Al Mustapha on the premises of the SDP reminds the public of the hey days of military dictatorship.

“This shocking intrusion into the internal administration of the SDP by the INEC is one incident too many for Nigeria’s political atmosphere, which is being stressed daily. Nigerians deserve some peace and order to secure our fragile democracy that has suffered so many deliberate acts of destabilization as Nigeria’s fragile Democracy may easily snap, if INEC and the Judiciary fail to step back from acts that give the appearance of interference rather than neutrality in the electoral process as envisioned by the Nigerian constitution.”

MCE noted that the sudden recognition of a legally dismissed chairman of the party by INEC without a legal basis and sufficient public explanation or legal clarification raises legitimate concerns among citizens, political stakeholders and observers.

It added that such actions inevitably fuel perceptions that state institutions may be indirectly contributing to the destabilisation of opposition parties ahead of future electoral contests.

The group said democracy can only thrive where all political actors are treated fairly and electoral arbiter maintains unquestionable neutrality.

“Accordingly, the Movement for Credible Elections calls on INEC to immediately provide clear legal and procedural explanations regarding its actions in the SDP leadership matter and to conduct itself in a manner that restores public confidence in its constitutional impartiality.

“Finally, we call on the judiciary, civil society organizations, the media, and the international democratic community to remain vigilant and ensure that democratic institutions in Nigeria operate strictly within the boundaries of fairness, transparency, and constitutional responsibility. Nigeria’s democracy must not be endangered by actions capable of undermining public trust in electoral institutions. The preservation of democratic order requires neutrality, accountability, and equal treatment for all political parties regardless of political affiliation,” the statement added. (Vanguard)