INEC Removes Controversial State Electoral Commissioners

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today swept some controversial Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from their states to other places in a major shakeup that saw nine of them redeployed.

A circular signed by the Secretary to INEC, Mrs Augusta Ogakwu, with reference number: INEC/SEC/402/I and dated January 27, 2016, listed the affected RECs as Baritor Kpagih redeployed from Bayelsa to Delta. Others include; Lawrence Azubuike from Ebonyi to Anambra, Sylvester Okey Ezeani from Cross River to Abia, Ogbudu Gabriel Ada from Imo to Akwa Ibom, Sam Olumekun from Ekiti to Edo, Austin Okojie from Akwa Ibom to Bayelsa, Habu Hinna from Yobe to Taraba, Gesila Khan from Rivers to Cross River and Ikoiwak Aniedi Abasi from Delta to Rivers. Elections conducted in the affected states have turned out to be very controversial and lacking in credibility.

To dispel insinuations concerning the exercise, a National Commissioner at INEC, Ambassador Lawrence Nwuruku, argued that the redeployment has nothing to do with the actions and inactions of the affected RECs, stressing that it is a routine exercise.

“It does not in any way mean an indictment on the redeployed RECs. I can conveniently tell you that it has nothing to do with their actions or inactions during the concluded 2015 general elections. It is just a routine exercise in line with the tradition of the commission,” he insisted.

Commenting on the readiness of the commission for the re-run elections for the National and State Assemblies, the Commissioner said that the courts were yet to furnish the commission with the details of the polling units where such elections will hold in February and March.

He insisted that the electoral commission is still blank on the areas the re-run will take place, stressing that “INEC has not gotten the courts judgement on the cancelled areas.

“As you know, INEC is always ready, but I must confess that there are certain things needed to make the commission fully ready for the elections. As I speak with you, the Commission doesn’t have the text of most of the judgments yet.

“You know as much as I do that it is the judgment that would specify the number of cancelled polling booths where the election would be conducted. We are yet to receive the judgment directing us to conduct elections in any specified polling unit and we cannot just start conducting elections in places we don’t know the stand of the court.

“We feel that for elections to go on in those areas, the court must notify the electoral commission. This situation is really giving us serious concern. But, since we have scheduled the elections between February and end of March, we hope the elections would go on as planned,” he added.