The Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee has rejected the decision by the Peoples Democratic Social gathering to take away the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha, forward of the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
Each Governor Godwin Obaseki and the nationwide management of the PDP have referred to as for the removing of Onuoha, citing his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
They expressed fears that the REC would manipulate the election in favor of the All Progressives Congress.
On Thursday, the Chairman of the Edo State PDP, Anthony Aziegbemhin, escalated the matter by submitting a proper protest letter to INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
Within the letter, Aziegbemhin referred to as for Onuoha’s quick redeployment, citing considerations over his previous function as Commissioner and Particular Adviser for Lands, Survey, and Housing beneath Wike’s administration as Rivers State governor.
“The ties between these two are too near ignore as they share familiarities and are additionally shut associates. To be clear, the connection between the 2 is printed under:
“The mentioned Edo REC is a cousin to the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Wike. He additionally served as a former Commissioner and Particular Adviser for Lands, Survey, and Housing to Mr. Wike throughout his tenure as Rivers governor,” the letter partly learn.
The controversy intensified after Wike, throughout a latest interview on Channels TV’s Politics As we speak on Friday, acknowledged the familial connection however emphasised that Onuoha is able to finishing up his duties impartially, with out affect from household or political affiliations.
Responding to those considerations, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, urged the PDP to give attention to the method of the election and never on the REC.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State won’t be redeployed. The governorship election will likely be performed on twenty first September 2024 in 4,519 polling items, not within the REC’s workplace.
“In the identical method, polling unit outcomes will likely be declared by the respective Presiding Officers after the voting, poll sorting and counting processes, within the presence of accredited social gathering brokers and different stakeholders.
“The PO will even take an image of the PU end in every polling unit with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, and add identical to the INEC End result Viewing portal. This course of just isn’t the identical as digital voting or digital transmission and collation of outcomes. The IReV is for transparency functions. The Nigerian structure doesn’t but recognise eletronic voting. Copies of the PU outcomes will likely be given to accredited social gathering brokers.
“Thereafter, the varied collation levels will likely be undertaken earlier than the declaration of the ultimate end result on the State Collation Centre in Benin-Metropolis.
“The PDP ought to, due to this fact, give attention to the method, not on the REC or different officers of the fee. The conduct of the election and end result collation exercise will happen within the open and accredited social gathering brokers will witness each step,” Oyekanmi defined.
He added that the fee wouldn’t give choice to any political social gathering over the opposite.
“INEC doesn’t rig elections. The present fee performed two governorship elections in Edo State in 2016 and 2020 efficiently and no person accused us of rigging.
“We guarantee all of the political events, registered voters and different stakeholders that the fee will present a stage enjoying subject and never give any benefit to 1 political social gathering or candidate over the opposite,” he added.
In the meantime, the Inter-Social gathering Advisory Council has urged stakeholders to not see the Edo State governorship election as struggle, noting that the train is supposed to decide on leaders who will promote good governance, accountability, and improvement.
The Nationwide Chairman of IPAC, Yusuf Dantalle, made the decision in an announcement Sunday in Benin, Edo State, after a stakeholders’ assembly.
He additionally referred to as on stakeholders within the off-cycle election to work collectively to create an setting conducive to credible elections.
He mentioned, “To all stakeholders, allow us to keep in mind, election just isn’t struggle. It’s merely an train in a democracy, the place we select leaders who will promote good governance, accountability, and improvement.
“As stakeholders, we should prioritise peace, fairness, and justice. Allow us to work collectively to create an setting conducive to credible elections.
“I urge all stakeholders to stick to the ideas of democracy, respect the rights of others, and prioritise the pursuits of the Edo folks and Nigeria on the whole,” he mentioned.