‘2023 polls can be compromised’ — TMG asks n’assembly to reject Buhari’s REC nominees

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has kicked against the resident electoral commissioners (RECs) nominated for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The civil society organisation (CSO) said the nomination is a strategy to undermine free and fair elections in 2023.

In July, Buhari asked the senate to confirm 19 nominees as INEC RECs.

However, in a statement on Saturday, Auwal Musa, TMG chairman, expressed concerns that card-carrying members of political parties were nominated.

“TMG is seriously worried by the reported surreptitious nominations of card-carrying members of the ruling party, All Progressive Congress, into the decision making structure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at all levels as enabling strategy to influence the process and outcome of 2023 general elections,” he said.

“While the provisions of the 1999 Constitution are clear on the compositions, and major appointments into the structure of the electoral body, we are displeased by the apparent partisanship and favouritism reported through the nominations of the party’s card-carrying members as INEC commissioners and state resident electoral commissioners.

“Some Nigerians alleged that the recent unmerited promotions and strategic deployments across the country initiated within the commission was to upturn votes or create inconclusive situations that will be exploited by unscrupulous politicians in forcing or rigging their way into power.

“We are more concerned by the potential impact of such a major push from the Presidency on the overall credibility, transparency and integrity of the upcoming elections in 2023.

“Just as we condemn in totality the appointments of card-carrying members of any political party as a controlling strategy that can compromise the competence and objectivity of INEC, under which the independence and integrity of the commission cannot be guaranteed to deliver free, fair and credible elections.”

Musa asked President Buhari to withdraw all names of political party chieftains or card-carrying members “and consider for immediate replacements, persons of integrity and unquestionable character, to demonstrate non-partisanship in the selections and nominations”.

“We call on the national assembly to reject confirmation of all nominated party chieftains and insist on transparency and non-partisanship in the selections, to uphold democratic value and electoral integrity, while proving respect for the sanity and sanctity of the rule of law,” he added.

“We also call on INEC to give detailed and verifiable positions of the nominated persons and rationale for their selections as well as a prerequisite for the recent adjustments in the commission’s structure and compositions at all levels.”