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The Conference of
Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) says it is not impressed by the
changes President Goodluck Jonathan has made so far in the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that there are still
men of questionable character in the national electoral body.

The group, in a
statement by its national spokesperson, Osita Okechukwu, in Abuja on
Thursday, said it has no confidence in the acting chairman of the
commission, Solomon Soyebi, who it alleged was chosen by the former
chairman, Maurice Iwu.

Commitment in doubt

It noted that Mr. Soyebo’s appointment is an indication that the president’s commitment to electoral reforms is in doubt.

“The idea of
appointment of Mr. Soyebi as acting chairman without prejudice to
Soyebi’s baggage of questionable integrity as evidenced in the conduct
of Abia and re-run in Ekiti states’ elections, recall of Mr. Victor
Chukwuani and indeed retaining any of the Commissioners; casts serious
doubt on the commitment of His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to
genuine electoral reform.

“CNPP is outraged
that President Goodluck Jonathan is fiddling with rotten eggs in INEC
to the extent that he buckled to Professor Maurice Iwu, who for over
two weeks flagrantly disobeyed presidential directive to hand over to
the most senior National Commissioner, Mr Phillip Umeadi; instead he
approved Mr. Solomon Soyebi, Professor Iwu’s anointed,

despite his baggage
of gross misconduct. “How can a president prevaricate and be indecisive
on such sensitive matter and allow Professor to prevail?

The coalition of
opposition parties said it considered Mr. Soyebo’s appointment as part
of the plot to rig the 2011 elections, since, according to it, Mr. Iwu
is still in charge as the president has provided him soft-landing in an
unholy alliance and negotiated exit.

It alleged that the
former INEC boss was convinced that Mr. Soyebi, unlike Mr. Umeadi,
would not probe the monumental fraud in the heaps of file he left
behind.

The CNPP also said
it is at a loss as to why Mr. Jonathan, who at every forum promised
free, fair and transparent elections next year could “wittingly mandate
a thoroughly discredited Professor Iwu and his co-travelers to lay a
fake foundation for 2011 election?”

Prosecute the lot!

The group said it
has no confidence in Mr. Soyebi’s statement on assumption of duty that
he was in the commission to fine-tune certain strategies and then make
for continuity in the plan for the general elections.

“The only
continuity we can attest of Professor Iwu, Soyebi and co,” the CNPP
said, “is sham elections, culture of impunity and rape of democracy;
which are ignoble plans.”

It demanded that
Mr. Iwu, the INEC Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners
should hand over to their various secretaries for gross misconduct and
submit themselves to anti-graft agencies for investigation and
prosecution.

“CNPP posits that the Augean Stable in INEC must be totally
cleansed, as the Third Schedule Section 14{1a} of the 1999 Constitution
is very explicit and frowns over the appointment or retention of people
of questionable integrity into INEC,” the group said, while also urging
the president to submit three bills in the Uwais Report to the National
Assembly for adoption.