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Calls for INEC Chairman’s Resignation, Premature, Risky-Oluwafemi 

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<p><&excl;-- BEGIN THEIA POST SLIDER --><&sol;p>&NewLine;<&excl;-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v&period; 3&period;0&period;1 -->&NewLine;<div class&equals;"quads-location quads-ad4" id&equals;"quads-ad4" style&equals;"float&colon;none&semi;margin&colon;0px&semi;">&NewLine;&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p><div class&equals;"0mdKbT8o" style&equals;"clear&colon;both&semi;float&colon;left&semi;width&colon;100&percnt;&semi;margin&colon;0 0 20px 0&semi;"><script async src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;pagead2&period;googlesyndication&period;com&sol;pagead&sol;js&sol;adsbygoogle&period;js"><&sol;script> &NewLine;<&excl;-- TV --> &NewLine;<ins class&equals;"adsbygoogle" &NewLine; style&equals;"display&colon;block" &NewLine; data-ad-client&equals;"ca-pub-4403533287178375" &NewLine; data-ad-slot&equals;"4399361195" &NewLine; data-ad-format&equals;"auto" &NewLine; data-full-width-responsive&equals;"true"><&sol;ins> &NewLine;<script> &NewLine; &lpar;adsbygoogle &equals; window&period;adsbygoogle &vert;&vert; &lbrack;&rsqb;&rpar;&period;push&lpar;&lbrace;&rcub;&rpar;&semi; &NewLine;<&sol;script><&sol;div>&NewLine;<p>Sir Victor Walsh Oluwafemi<br &sol;>&NewLine;Public Analyst and Development Consultant has called for due process and responsible public discourse over calls for the resignation of Independent National Electoral Commission INEC&&num;8217&semi;s chairman&comma; Prof Joash Amupitan&comma; SAN&period;<&sol;p><div class&equals;"SLS3zBAE" style&equals;"clear&colon;both&semi;float&colon;left&semi;width&colon;100&percnt;&semi;margin&colon;0 0 20px 0&semi;"><script async src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;pagead2&period;googlesyndication&period;com&sol;pagead&sol;js&sol;adsbygoogle&period;js"><&sol;script> &NewLine;<&excl;-- TV --> &NewLine;<ins class&equals;"adsbygoogle" &NewLine; style&equals;"display&colon;block" &NewLine; data-ad-client&equals;"ca-pub-4403533287178375" &NewLine; data-ad-slot&equals;"4399361195" &NewLine; data-ad-format&equals;"auto" &NewLine; data-full-width-responsive&equals;"true"><&sol;ins> &NewLine;<script> &NewLine; &lpar;adsbygoogle &equals; window&period;adsbygoogle &vert;&vert; &lbrack;&rsqb;&rpar;&period;push&lpar;&lbrace;&rcub;&rpar;&semi; &NewLine;<&sol;script><&sol;div>&NewLine;<p>In a statement he personally signed&comma; Oluwafemi noted that&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;I am compelled&comma; as a concerned citizen and a professional engaged in governance advisory and institutional systems&comma; to address the growing calls for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission&comma; Professor Joash O&period; Amupitan&comma; SAN&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;While accountability remains central to any functioning democracy&comma; the manner&comma; tone&comma; and timing of these demands raise serious questions about intent and consequence&period;<&sol;p><div class&equals;"wuwtb4d0" style&equals;"clear&colon;both&semi;float&colon;left&semi;width&colon;100&percnt;&semi;margin&colon;0 0 20px 0&semi;"><script async src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;pagead2&period;googlesyndication&period;com&sol;pagead&sol;js&sol;adsbygoogle&period;js"><&sol;script> &NewLine;<ins class&equals;"adsbygoogle" &NewLine; style&equals;"display&colon;block&semi; text-align&colon;center&semi;" &NewLine; data-ad-layout&equals;"in-article" &NewLine; data-ad-format&equals;"fluid" &NewLine; data-ad-client&equals;"ca-pub-4403533287178375" &NewLine; data-ad-slot&equals;"6550225277"><&sol;ins> &NewLine;<script> &NewLine; &lpar;adsbygoogle &equals; window&period;adsbygoogle &vert;&vert; &lbrack;&rsqb;&rpar;&period;push&lpar;&lbrace;&rcub;&rpar;&semi; &NewLine;<&sol;script><&sol;div>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;It is important to critically examine whether such calls are grounded in verifiable institutional breaches or whether they reflect political positioning and reactionary pressure&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&excl;-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v&period; 3&period;0&period;1 -->&NewLine;<div class&equals;"quads-location quads-ad4" id&equals;"quads-ad4" style&equals;"float&colon;none&semi;margin&colon;0px&semi;">&NewLine;&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Oluwafemi further stressed that&colon; &&num;8220&semi;The positions recently advanced by the African Democratic Congress and the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria&comma; if not exercised with caution&comma; risk projecting a troubling precedent that leadership within critical national institutions can be influenced through public agitation rather than constitutional procedure&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;When institutions begin to respond to pressure instead of process&comma; democracy itself becomes negotiable&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&excl;-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v&period; 3&period;0&period;1 -->&NewLine;<div class&equals;"quads-location quads-ad1" id&equals;"quads-ad1" style&equals;"float&colon;none&semi;margin&colon;0px&semi;">&NewLine;&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Nigeria’s constitutional framework is unambiguous&period; The removal of the INEC Chairman is not a matter for public sentiment or media campaigns&comma; but one strictly governed by law&period; It is therefore both prudent and necessary to advise that all grievances&comma; allegations&comma; or concerns be subjected to judicial scrutiny&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>At this stage&comma; restraint is not only advisable but also essential&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;In every serious democracy&comma; accusation must travel through the courts&comma; not through microphones&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Equally concerning is the growing trend of unguarded and&comma; in some instances&comma; uncultured utterances across television&comma; radio&comma; and digital platforms&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Public commentary on matters of national importance must be measured&comma; responsible&comma; and evidence-based&period; The consequences of careless rhetoric are neither theoretical nor distant&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Recent electoral observations in Nigeria recorded over 200 incidents of election-related violence&comma; with multiple fatalities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;A significant driver of such tensions has consistently been inflammatory rhetoric and the premature delegitimisation of institutions&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Words&comma; when recklessly deployed in a fragile political climate&comma; can become triggers rather than expressions&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;It is therefore imperative to caution all stakeholders&period; Opposition actors must ensure that their engagements strengthen democratic confidence rather than weaken institutional trust&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Socio-religious organisations must be mindful of the weight of their voice&comma; particularly in matters that intersect with national governance&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Those who appear on radio and television must understand that public platforms are not merely spaces for expression&comma; but instruments that shape national mood and direction&period; Discipline in speech is not a limitation&semi; it is a responsibility&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Freedom of expression must never become a licence for institutional erosion&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;This is not a defence of any individual&period; It is a defence of process&comma; order&comma; and democratic stability&period; Where there is credible evidence of wrongdoing&comma; it must be tested through lawful and constitutional channels&period; Disputes must be resolved within the framework of the judiciary&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Until such processes have run their course&comma; calls for resignation remain premature and potentially destabilising&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;A nation does not strengthen its democracy by removing officials through pressure&comma; but by upholding the systems designed to hold them accountable&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Nigeria must choose discipline over noise&comma; process over pressure&comma; and stability over sentiment&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><&excl;-- END THEIA POST SLIDER -->&NewLine;<&excl;-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v&period; 3&period;0&period;1 -->&NewLine;<div class&equals;"quads-location quads-ad5" id&equals;"quads-ad5" style&equals;"float&colon;none&semi;margin&colon;0px&semi;">&NewLine;&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<script async src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;pagead2&period;googlesyndication&period;com&sol;pagead&sol;js&sol;adsbygoogle&period;js"><&sol;script> &NewLine;<ins class&equals;"adsbygoogle" &NewLine; style&equals;"display&colon;block" &NewLine; data-ad-format&equals;"autorelaxed" &NewLine; data-ad-client&equals;"ca-pub-4403533287178375" &NewLine; data-ad-slot&equals;"1004305389"><&sol;ins> &NewLine;<script> &NewLine; &lpar;adsbygoogle &equals; window&period;adsbygoogle &vert;&vert; &lbrack;&rsqb;&rpar;&period;push&lpar;&lbrace;&rcub;&rpar;&semi; &NewLine;<&sol;script>&NewLine;<&excl;-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v&period; 3&period;0&period;1 -->&NewLine;<div class&equals;"quads-location quads-ad3" id&equals;"quads-ad3" style&equals;"float&colon;none&semi;margin&colon;0px&semi;">&NewLine;&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&NewLine;

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