Guber Election: INEC reacts to PDP’s call to remove Wike’s Cousin as Edo REC

Guber Election: INEC reacts to PDP’s call to remove Wike’s Cousin as Edo REC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) demand to reassign Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Anugbum Onuoha.

Onuoha has faced scrutiny due to his connections with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Tensions arose between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Wike, particularly after Wike supported Obaseki’s second term bid during his defection to the PDP.

Obaseki and the PDP’s national leadership have raised concerns that Onuoha might bias the election in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In response, PDP Edo State Chairman Anthony Aziegbemhin submitted a formal request to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, calling for Onuoha’s immediate removal.

The letter read in part, “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.”

Responding, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, emphatically said: “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.

“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.”