Guber poll: Why we won’t remove Wike’s cousin as Edo REC – INEC

Ahead of the Saturday September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, on Monday, dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party demand for the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Anugbum Onuoha.

Controversy has enveloped Onuoha over his blood relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike.

There has been no love lost between Governor Godwin Obaseki and Wike.

Obaseki and the national leadership of the PDP have since been expressing fears that Onuoha would influence the election to favour the All Progressives Congress, under which Wike is a serving minister.

On Thursday, Edo State PDP Chairman, Anthony Aziegbemhin, submitted a formal protest letter to INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, demanding Onuoha’s ‘immediate redeployment’.

The letter had partly stated, “The ties between these two are too close to ignore as they share familiarities and are also close associates.

“The said Edo REC is a cousin to the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Wike. He also served as a former Commissioner and Special Adviser for Lands, Survey, and Housing to Mr. Wike during his tenure as Rivers governor.”

Wike’s admittance on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday that Onuoha was his cousin aggravated the PDP’s reservations.

However, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, while speaking on the development, stressed that the commission won’t redeploy the REC.

Oyekanmi rather implored the PDP to focus on the process of the election rather than the Onuoha’s personality.

The INEC chairman’s spokesman said, “The REC 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.

“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 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.”

Obaseki and the ruling PDP in Edo had refused to sign the peace accord ahead of the election. The Governor and his party have also been talking tough, describing the forthcoming election as do or die, while acting National Chairman of the PDP, Illiya Damagum said party members would defend their votes with their blood.