Against the backdrop of the screening of Lauretta Onochie as a commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Coalition of United Political Parties has warned that it is a prelude to a third-term agenda for President Muhammadu Buhari.
The coalition made this assertion on Friday via its spokesman, Mark Adebayo, titled, ‘Onochie’s INEC nomination is to perfect Buhari’s third term agenda – CUPP’.
According to CUPP, this action sets a dangerous precedent which is dangerous for the country’s democracy.
An excerpt from the statement reads, “In the established tradition of the Buhari administration, it has again turned deaf ears to the overwhelming public outcry against the ill-advised nomination of a known sycophant of the president as an INEC commissioner.
“Since last year that the nomination of Mrs Onochie went public, many sociopolitical organisations, opinion moulders, Civil Society Organisations and the general public have raised an alarm on the danger a publicly biased individual can unleash on our Electoral system and democracy, but typical of this government that runs a near-fascist regime, it has ignored these patriotic calls for restraint on this Onochie nomination nonsense”.
The CUPP further disclosed that Onochie is an APC member despite her denials.
“Meanwhile, whatever Mrs Onochie says to the contrary, she is an APC member and an active member of Buhari campaign groups. She has not resigned her membership of the APC and remains vocal in her support for the Buhari government.
“If the president wouldn’t listen to the voice of reason and the citizens’ concerns as he is wont to, you the representatives of the people must save our fledgling democracy by rejecting Mrs Onochie’s nomination and reserve for yourselves a place on the right pages of history and posterity. An Onochie confirmation would inflict a damaging dent on the integrity of our elections. Don’t confirm her”, the statement urged.
