Former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has urged the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, to remove the commission’s director of ICT, Femi Odubiyi, because of his closeness to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President-elect, Bola AhmedTinubu.

Chief George, in a press statement signed by him stated that the first thing Yakubu must do was to explain to Nigerians how Odubiyi, a former Commissioner for Science and Technology in Lagos state, found his way into INEC as head of ICT, a critical department before, during and after elections.

The statement read: “Today, millions of Nigerians are disputing the outcome of the February 25 presidential elections and some candidates are already in court. BVAS and IReV are very critical in the legal process that is going on.

“Nigerians are already asking Professor Mahmood Yakubu: How did this man, former Commissioner in Lagos state, find his way into INEC, not just any department but a critical one like ICT?

“That department is very sensitive. Why should a follower of a presidential candidate be deployed to man a sensitive department like ICT in an election year?

“How did he even get his way into INEC? Do we have acolytes of Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and other candidates heading other departments in INEC? Nigerians need to know.

“Was there no background check by security agents before this man was chosen to head ICT? How do we want the world to look at us when somebody close to a presidential candidate decides what goes on in the ICT department.

“Now that other candidates are in court, is this not the time for this fellow to be redeployed? Who appointed him and when was he appointed? Nigerians need to know.”

The PDP chieftain said it appears Odubiyi is a mole deliberately planted in INEC, to subvert the will of the Nigerian electorate.