Edo REC: Being Wike’s cousin doesn’t disqualify me from serving as INEC official

Anugbum Onuoha, the resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Edo, says being a cousin to Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), does not preclude him from being appointed as an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Recently, Tony Aziegbemi, chair of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo, asked INEC to redeploy Onuoha over ties with Wike.

Aziegbemi expressed a lack of confidence in the REC’s ability to conduct a free and fair election in the state.

Onuoha served as a special adviser on lands when Wike was the governor of Rivers state.

Reacting to the PDP’s request, INEC said Onuoha will not be redeployed and that the focus should be on the voting process.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, Onuoha asked Nigerians to focus on his competency, character, and conscience, and ignore his relationship with Wike.

The Edo REC said politicians will make “wild allegations when they discover that you will not do their bidding”, adding that there were no complaints when he was posted to Edo state in 2023.

“It is a fact that I am a cousin to the minister. On my appointment, I was invited by the senate. The senate screened and confirmed me. I was sworn in by my chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu,” he said.

“I was posted to Edo last year. Nobody complained that I’m a cousin to the minister. Of course, I’m a cousin to the minister. What we should be talking about at this time is capacity. Do you have the capacity to conduct the election? Are you competent enough?

“From my background, I am an associate professor of law. People should ask, ‘can he do this job? Has he done a similar thing before?’ Yes,  I was an electoral commissioner in Rivers state’s RSIEC. Nobody complained.

“I’m coming from the university. The mere fact that I’m a cousin to Wike does not preclude me from being appointed. Am I not a Nigerian? What Nigerians should be after is the person’s competence and whether he has what it takes to handle the job.  Those are the issues they should ask.”