Centre for Awareness on Justice and Accountability, CAJA, has urged the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to direct a management staff of the Commission, Garba Lawal, to proceed on retirement leave with immediate effect in the interest of free, fair and credible elections in the coming days.

In a recent general employees transfer exercise toward checkmating the staff tendency to compromise the coming elections, Lawal, who is the Administrative Secretary of INEC in Kano, got his movement from the State reversed, an action perceived by the public as motivated by some vested political interests.

Lawal has come under close watch of opposition parties in Kano, following his refusal to proceed on mandatory three months’ leave before due retirement date of 14th March, 2023, an alleged maladministration to help smooth the way for some election manipulators.

Lawal, accused in some political quarters as a serial alleged vote manipulator in Kano, ”allegedly participated in the widely condemned rigging of the Kano State 2019 gubernatorial election which has been attested to by many election observers within and without Nigeria.”

CAJA, a Kano based non-governmental organisation that advocates accountability for a better Nigeria, in a letter dated 2nd February and signed by Kabiru Dakata, Executive Director, expressed concern over public mistrust that Lawal’s continued stay in INEC may cost the Commission at a critical time of important elections.

The NGO insistently urged INEC Chairman to, ”direct Lawal to immediately proceed on three-month mandatory pre-retirement leave as stipulated by the law and in the interest of free, fair and credible elections promised by the Commission.”

Vanguard