Mahmoud will never join 2023 Presidential Race—-INEC

By Jon Egie

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has assured Nigerians that the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmoud Ibrahim has not and will not ever contemplate joining the 2023 presidential race as being preposterously proposed by some Nigerians as such would be at variance with the law, morality and his personal principles.

A statement issued by the Commission on its verified twitter handle and signed by Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the Hon Chairman of the Commission, today, May 8, 2022 said the attention of the Commission was drawn to the innuendos in certain quarters that Nigerians would not be surprised if the INEC Chairman joined the 2023 presidential race.

“The Chairman remains an umpire committed to free, fair and credible elections. His constitutional responsibilities as the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation and Returning Officer for the presidential election are onerous enough for him to even contemplate straying into extraneous matters at variance with the law, morality and his personal principles. It will not happen.

“The Chairman will continue to discharge his responsibilities without affection for , or illwill against, any political party or candidate.” The statement stressed.

It would be recalled that recently, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Mefiele was said to have obtained the expression of interest form for the presidential race on the platform of the APC, though allegedly procured for him by rice farmers, at the cost of N100 million.

There has been public outcry against the Mefiele presidential bid and the PDP has called for his resignation and arrest. Mefiele has since denied his immediate readiness for the race but ample evidence of several vehicles branded in his name for the presidential race are in public domain.

Obviously, it is on this basis that innuendos are rife, depicting that Nigerians would not be surprised if the INEC Chairman too, obtains form and joins the presidential race.