The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that Anugbum Onuoha, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo State, will not be redeployed ahead of the governorship election in the state.
News About Nigeria reports that the Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, demanded that INEC transfer Anugbum Onuoha due to alleged connections with Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister.
The Edo PDP expressed a lack of confidence in the Resident Electoral Commissioner’s (REC) ability to conduct a free and fair election, citing his previous role as Special Adviser on Lands to Minister Nyesom Wike during his governorship of Rivers State.
Responding to Aziegbemi’s comments, Wike said Onuoha is his first cousin and has been Edo REC for over a year.
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 results in each polling unit with the bimodal voter accreditation system and upload the 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.”
