INEC to PDP: Edo REC won’t be removed — focus on voting process

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says Anugbum Onuoha, the resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Edo, will not be redeployed ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

Last week, Tony Aziegbemi, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo, asked INEC to redeploy Onuoha over ties with Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

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

The INEC REC had previously served as special adviser on lands to Wike when the minister was governor of Rivers.

Reacting to Aziegbemi’s comments, Wike said Onuoha is his first cousin and has been Edo REC for over a year.

The FCT minister wondered why the PDP is demanding for the redeployment of Onuoha just days before the election, adding that he was approached by Godwin Obaseki, governor of the state, to support the PDP candidate for the election.

‘PDP SHOULD FOCUS ON ELECTION NOT REC’

Speaking with PUNCH, Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary to Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, said the PDP should focus on the voting process instead of the Edo REC office.

“The resident electoral commissioner for Edo state will not be redeployed. The governorship election will be conducted on 21st September 2024 in 4,519 polling units, not in the REC’s office,” he said.

“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.

“The PO will also take a picture of the PU result in each polling unit with the bimodal voter accreditation system, and upload same to the INEC result viewing portal.

“This process is not the same as electronic voting or electronic transmission and collation of results.

“The IReV is for transparency purposes. The Nigerian constitution does not yet recognise electronic voting. Copies of the PU results will be given to accredited party agents.

“Thereafter, the various collation stages will be undertaken before the declaration of the final result at the State Collation Centre in Benin city.

“The PDP should, therefore, focus on the process, not on the REC or other officials of the commission.

“The conduct of the election and result collation activity will take place in the open and accredited party agents will witness every step.”