The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, reportedly said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), refrained from reacting to the spectacle at the Adamawa State governorship election because he does not micromanage government agencies.
He argued that it was the prerogative of the Independent National Electoral Commission to deal with the infraction by the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Ari.
“The President does not micromanage any institution. I don’t think that this government has ever intervened in the way the Independent National Electoral Commission conducts its elections,” Mohammed said during a heated exchange with State House Correspondents after this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
He also said he had not received any petition written to Buhari to sanction the erring REC, whom he simply described as an INEC employee.
It was reported that Ari had imprudently announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Aisha Binani, as winner of the intense Adamawa Governorship race, despite ongoing collation of results from various local government areas.
Consequently, INEC reported the REC to the appointing authority for appropriate sanction.
When pressed for the FG’s reaction to the development, the minister said,
“I don’t think that this government has ever intervened in the way the Independent National Electoral Commission conducts its elections.
“So, there’s no need for us to intervene. It was entirely an INEC matter and INEC handled it.
“The chairman of INEC is in charge of all employees of INEC and he’s handling it. So, what do you want the government to do?”
However, when asked about the President’s take on the attitude of the REC whom he appointed, Mohammed retorted,
“The President does not micromanage any institution. I think you should go and ask INEC. INEC handles all these businesses.
“INEC took certain steps, right, it in the context of INEC to so do. I’m not aware that there’s a petition. It was not addressed to me. That’s why I said your best bet is probably to ask INEC.
“You see, the President does not micromanage every institution…I think I’m the wrong person you are asking this question.”
