Although President Muhammadu Buhari has given the Military and the Police the power to be ruthless as ballot box snatchers because they commit the offence “at risk to their own lives”, Professor Mahmood Yakubu has expressed the belief that ballot box snatchers should be punished only in accordance with the electoral law.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday at a meeting of the national caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the President had said those who influence ballot box snatching may find out it is their "last unlawful action".

"Anybody who decides to snatch ballot boxes or lead thugs to disturb, it may be that [this will be] the last unlawful action you will take," Buhari had said.

"I rarely give the military and the police [the power] to be ruthless. We are not going be blamed but we won’t rig election. I want Nigerians to be respected; let them vote whoever they want across the parties. I'm not afraid of it.

"The whole 36 states in Nigeria, I went round. I think I have got enough support across the country to look after me. So I'm going to warn anybody who thinks he has enough influence in his locality to lead a body of thugs to snatch boxes or to disturb the voting system, he will do it at the expense of his own life."

When these comments were brought to the INEC Chairman on Tuesday as he addressed the media on the preparedness of his commission for the rescheduled polls, Yakubu said: “The position of the commission is that all violators of the Electoral Act should be punished according to the provisions of the Electoral Act."

Yakubu also denied reports that Okechukwu Ibeanu, the National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in charge of logistics, was invited by the Department of State Services (DSS).

“No commissioner of the commission was picked up by any security agency no house of any commissioner of INEC was raided; no any commissioner of INEC has been picked by the security agency,” he said.

“The particular commissioner you are referring to, whose name was mentioned on social media, is as we speak currently in his office in the commission. Similarly, no six directors were picked up by any security agency. All decisions on the administration of the commission are taken by the commission as an independent, constitutional body. We will continue to protect and jealously guard our independence.”

doctokwus:
Rule of law is an aberration to Buhari,that's why he has failed twice as a head of State.
Arbitrariness,bloodshed and terror are his rules of engagement

DMerciful:
Of course Mahmood is a learned man!

knightsTempler:
If you have a business(nigeria) and buhari is your manager.

Everyday the business is dying.

Customers( foreign investors) are leaving.

He is eating your money quietly and secretly but he says he didn't touch 1 naira.

You gave him opportunity to employ staffs but he employed only his brothers.

Will you retain him?

doctokwus:
Rule of law is an aberration to Buhari,that's why he has failed twice as a head of State.
Arbitrariness,bloodshed and terror are his rules of engagement

livelymatilda22:

Please,make sure you snatch a ballot box on Saturday as you normally do for Pdp OK? ....Enjoy

knightsTempler:
Only a slowpoke will not differ with Buhari's unconstitutionality. Nigeria is not a jungle. INEC Chairman is following the rule of law. There is stipulated punishment for ballot box snatching which is two years imprisonment without option of fine. What Buhari said was tantamount to killing a fly with a sledgehammer. I condemn election rigging or violence in its entirety. Buhari goofed on this. He should apologize to Nigerians for this rascality.

knightsTempler:
Here are some notable quotes from Atiku earlier today at the #PDPNECMeeting.

Atiku to Military commanders and officers: You are not bound to execute unlawful orders.

Atiku: If You are in the SS, SE and NC, you are more likely to have your card reader slowed they have tampered with them

Atiku: General Buhari was never a Democrat, he simply wore the garb to come back to power, he is a power Monger

Atiku: "We stand on the edge of history, but we must not let our guard down as we have an opponent who will stop at nothing to retain power "

Atiku: More Nigerians are living in extreme Poverty than any other country in the world. We had the largest economy in Africa before the APC.

Atiku: Our campaigns have been issue based, offering Nigerians hope and a Better tomorrow

Atiku: I quoted GEJ earlier and I'm saying it again, My Ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. I call on President Buhari to make the same commitment

Atiku: I call on INEC to remain impartial arbiters. Resolve all logistical challenges before the commencement of polls.

Atiku: General Buhari has repeatedly violated the constitution, more recently the suspension of the Chief Justice of the Federation. Crossing the line that divides executive from Judiciary

Atiku: We have fought more ruthless dictators than Buhari. A precondition for free fair and credible elections is for people to cast their votes without violence.

Atiku: We are going to win this election. Do not despair, our time is now, together we shall reshape the destiny of our country. Together we can get Nigeria Working again.

knightsTempler:
Here are some notable quotes from Atiku earlier today at the #PDPNECMeeting.

Atiku to Military commanders and officers: You are not bound to execute unlawful orders.

Atiku: If You are in the SS, SE and NC, you are more likely to have your card reader slowed they have tampered with them

Atiku: General Buhari was never a Democrat, he simply wore the garb to come back to power, he is a power Monger

Atiku: "We stand on the edge of history, but we must not let our guard down as we have an opponent who will stop at nothing to retain power "

Atiku: More Nigerians are living in extreme Poverty than any other country in the world. We had the largest economy in Africa before the APC.

Atiku: Our campaigns have been issue based, offering Nigerians hope and a Better tomorrow

Atiku: I quoted GEJ earlier and I'm saying it again, My Ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. I call on President Buhari to make the same commitment

Atiku: I call on INEC to remain impartial arbiters. Resolve all logistical challenges before the commencement of polls.

Atiku: General Buhari has repeatedly violated the constitution, more recently the suspension of the Chief Justice of the Federation. Crossing the line that divides executive from Judiciary

Atiku: We have fought more ruthless dictators than Buhari. A precondition for free fair and credible elections is for people to cast their votes without violence.

Atiku: We are going to win this election. Do not despair, our time is now, together we shall reshape the destiny of our country. Together we can get Nigeria Working again.