The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said it will not yield to the call of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to redeploy the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Anugbum Onuoha.
Onuoha has been a subject of controversy over his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Wike have not been in good terms after Wike supported his second term bid when he defected to the PDP.
The governor and the national leadership of the PDP have expressed fears that Onuoha would influence the election to favour the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The PDP chairman in Edo State, Anthony Aziegbemhin, had submitted a formal protest letter to INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, demanding Onuoha’s immediate redeployment.
The letter read in part, “The ties between these two are too close to ignore as they share familiarities and are also close associates.
“The said Edo REC is a cousin to the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Wike. He also served as a former Commissioner and Special Adviser for Lands, Survey, and Housing to Mr Wike during his tenure as Rivers governor.”
Responding, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, emphatically said that the REC would not be redeployed, urging the PDP to focus on the process of the election rather than Onuoha.
“The REC for Edo State will not be redeployed. The governorship election will be conducted on September 21, 2024 in 4,519 polling units, not in the REC’s office.
“In the same manner, polling unit results will be declared by the respective Presiding Officers after the voting, ballot sorting and counting processes, in the presence of accredited party agents and other stakeholders.”
