Guber polls: Remove Imo REC to avoid Adamawa fiasco, PDP urges INEC
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to use the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states to redeem its image.
It also demanded that the commission replace the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in charge of Imo State, Prof. Sylvia Agu, to avoid a repeat of the electoral chaos recorded in Adamawa State during the last governorship election.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, who stated this at a briefing in Abuja, yesterday, said: “The PDP has noted the statement by INEC Chairman that INEC will make full use of its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and the INEC Result Viewing, IReV, portal for uploading and electronic transmission of results in the November 11, 2023 governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states.
“The PDP has reviewed issues relating to the conduct of the November 11, 2023 elections in the three States and states as follows:
“The PDP notes that the INEC Chairman has confirmed that the use of BVAS and IREV in this election and even in previous election is a mandatory statutory requirement of the law
“The PDP holds INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu directly responsible and accountable to his pronouncements and that INEC is bound by Law to electronically transmit results directly from the polling units using these technologies.
“The PDP is fully prepared for these elections and in line with the commitment of INEC will not accept any other means of transmitting results in these elections except as this manner pronounced by the INEC Chairman in line with requirement of Electoral Act, 2022.”
Ologunagba noted that the PDP had commenced training of its polling agents at all levels to ensure total compliance to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) Electoral Act, 2022, INEC Guidelines and Regulations especially as confirmed by the INEC Chairman.
He said the party remained confident of victory in the three states because all of its candidates in the affected states – Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Imo) and Senator Dino Melaye – had proven track records of public service and were popular with their people.
On the demand for the sack of the Imo State REC, he said: “The PDP for the umpteenth time demands for the immediate removal of the (alledgedly) openly compromised Imo State INEC REC, Prof. Sylvia Agu.
“The PDP and other political parties had written several letters to INEC. Recently the political parties including the PDP, LP, YPP, ADC, AA among others staged a peaceful protest to INEC demanding for her immediate removal.”
According to him, the PDP does not have confidence in the ability of Prof. Agu to be fair to all parties contesting in the November 11, 2023 governorship elections.
This, he explained, was based on her conduct in the 2023 National and House of Assembly elections.
Ologunagba also alleged that Prof Sylvia Agu was a direct relation of a national officer of the APC, adding that there were allegations that she was being further compromised to assist the APC to rig the Nov. 11 governorship election in Imo State.