The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it has no plan to remove the Resident Electoral Commission in Imo State, Prof Sylvia Agu.
INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that there have been a series of calls, made for the removal of the state REC over alleged partisanship, which led to a walkout by some angry governorship candidates at a stakeholder meeting held on Tuesday in Owerri, the state capital.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said there is no reason to remove Agu.
Oyeakanmi stated that the Commission has no evidence implicating the Imo REC or proving any allegation that she is being alleged of.”
He said: “The REC will conduct the election. We don’t have any reason to remove her from there, and we don’t have any evidence that implicates her or proves any allegation that is being alleged at this time.”
“The Commission takes its responsibility seriously, and we don’t joke with the conduct of elections, and when there are complaints against our officers, we also don’t joke with complaints, but you must provide evidence that our officers are culpable.”
The spokesman for the INEC Chairman assured the political parties in the election that INEC would be fair and unbiased.
“The assurance we are giving to all political parties is that we are not going to allow any pandering towards any interest in this election; our interest is to conduct free, fair and credible elections,” he said.
