All Progressives Congress on the 29th of October, warned the opposition to desist from targeting state Resident Electoral Commissioners and sponsoring needless demonstrations on the eve of major elections.
The warning came a few hours after scores of protesters from Ondo State stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja to demand an immediate redeployment of the state REC, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola.
While waving different banners and placards that read ‘Mahmood: Redeploy Babalola now’ and ‘We don’t want a repeat of Edo fiasco,’ the demonstrators blocked the entrance to the national secretariat, demanding to see the National Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to press home their demand.
The development comes one week after the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, made a similar request, citing concerns over Babalola’s alleged ties to the All Progressives Congress.
Makinde, who spoke at the Peoples Democratic Party campaign rally in Akure, argued that Babalola’s background from Ondo may compromise the neutrality of the electoral process.
However, the ruling party, APC, said the protest may have been sponsored to blackmail and pressure the commission into removing Babalola, despite knowing they stood no chance of winning the election.
In an exclusive phone chat with The PUNCH, the National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, expressed concerns that the trend of demanding REC redeployment before a major election in the country was becoming a vicious circle.
Ibrahim recalled that a similar scenario was witnessed in the build-up to the Edo State governorship election where supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party made a similar demand.
He said, “These protesters might have been sponsored to come and demonstrate. Her relationship with people should not be used against her. It is the way and manner she conducts herself. If it infringes on the position of the law, she should be sanctioned. If it doesn’t, I don’t see any reason she should be redeployed.
“We have seen such shenanigans in Edo where, prior to the election, some people were sponsored to protest against the state REC simply because he has a relationship with someone.
“Anybody holding public office in Nigeria, especially one that has to do with being an umpire, you are bound to be accused of one thing or the other by people who don’t have confidence in themselves. Accusations will always come from people who are not properly prepared to face an election.
“If there is anything to show she is involved in wrongdoing, she should be sanctioned or transferred. But if there is none, the onus is on those making the allegation to prove it. The position of the law is that you are innocent until proven otherwise.”
In addition, the Ondo State chapter of the APC also condemned the protest staged by some youths in Abuja.
In a statement issued by its state Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Steve Otaloro, the party described the protest as a shameful attempt to undermine the integrity of the November 16 governorship election in the state.
The statement read, “The PDP’s call for the removal of Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), is a solo effort that reeks of desperation and bitterness.
“It’s alarming that a political party would resort to such tactics, attempting to dictate who conducts an election, which is contrary to the constitutional provisions and the Electoral Act 2022.
“The APC wishes to remind the PDP that the electoral process is governed by laws and guidelines, not by the whims of any political party. We urge INEC to remain steadfast in its commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible elections.”
The ruling party also urged the INEC to remain impartial and not bow to the pressure of the opposition party.
“Submitting to their demands would be unfair to other participating parties and undermine the electoral process.
“It’s crucial to recognise that all parties have submitted to the electoral process and applauded INEC’s organisational efforts, except for the PDP, which continues to harass and dictate to the INEC.
“The APC believes that the PDP is building excuses for their impending loss. We caution INEC against making decisions that could compromise the election’s integrity.
“Mrs Babalola has served the commission diligently, and removing her based on fabricated allegations would be unjust,” the statement said.
