In a sharp rebuff to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refused demands to remove Anugbum Onuoha as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Edo State....READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
The decision comes just days before the state’s highly anticipated governorship election, scheduled for September 21, 2024.
The PDP’s concerns center on Onuoha’s familial ties to Nyesom Wike, the influential Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor.
Onuoha, who previously served in key roles during Wike’s tenure in Rivers, is Wike’s cousin—a connection the PDP argues creates a conflict of interest. The relationship has been a flashpoint in the ongoing political tensions between Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and Wike.
The two were once political allies, with Wike
playing a key role in supporting Obaseki’s second-term bid after his defection to the PDP. But their alliance has since fractured, adding fuel to the current dispute.
In a formal letter to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, Edo State PDP Chairman Anthony Aziegbemhin urged the electoral body to act swiftly by removing Onuoha from his role.
“The ties between these two are too close to ignore,” Aziegbemhin wrote, citing their close personal and political association. Wike, during a recent appearance on “Channels TV’s Politics
Today”, confirmed the familial connection, exacerbating the PDP’s concerns about potential bias.
Despite these fears, INEC has remained resolute. In a statement on Thursday, Rotimi
Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, made it clear that Onuoha would not be redeployed. “The REC for Edo State will not be redeployed.
The governorship election will be conducted on September 21, 2024, in 4,519 polling units, not in the REC’s office,” Oyekanmi said.
He stressed that the election’s integrity would be safeguarded through established processes, including the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
“The Nigerian constitution does not yet recognize electronic voting, but the IReV system ensures transparency,” Oyekanmi added, seeking to allay concerns over the potential influence of any single official. Party agents and other stakeholders, he emphasized, would be present at every stage to oversee voting, counting, and the announcement of results at polling units.
As the election draws near, the standoff between INEC and the PDP
raises the stakes, heightening public scrutiny of what promises to be a closely watched contest.
Overall, 17 political parties are fielding candidates in the election. There’s only one female among the contestants as the remaining 16 are men.
