The Edo Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Anugbum Onuoha, has invited political parties in Edo State to present any incriminating evidence regarding his competence ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for Saturday.
Speaking on Channels Television’s *Sunrise Daily* on Friday, Onuoha expressed confidence in his ability to conduct a free and fair election in the state.
He urged political parties to dismiss allegations of potential favoritism directed against him.
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Tony Aziegbemi, the chairman of the Edo PDP, had previously called for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to redeploy Onuoha, citing concerns about his ties to Minister Nyesom Wike and expressing doubts about his impartiality.
In response, Rotomi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary for INEC, stated that the commission would not redeploy the Edo REC and urged the PDP to concentrate on the electoral process rather than targeting Onuoha, assuring the public of a transparent election.
Onuoha maintained that his relationship with Wike does not affect his capability to oversee the election effectively.
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“It is a fact that I am a cousin to the minister. Before my appointment, I was invited by the Senate. It screened me, and I was confirmed. I was sworn in by Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, and posted to Edo.
‘Since last year, nobody complained that I am a cousin to the minister. Of course, I am a cousin to the minister. What we should be talking about at this time is the capacity to conduct the election.
“From my background, I am an Associate Professor of Law. People should now ask if I have done thing job before. Yes, I was an electoral commissioner in Rivers State. Nobody has complained. I am coming from the university. I am not a politician. The mere fact that I am a cousin to Wike does not preclude me from being appointed.
“I’m I not a Nigerian? Nigerians should have gone beyond this level.”
Onuoha then urged any political parties to present evidence supporting their claims against him that could justify their criticisms.
“I challenge all the political parties in Edo State to tell me what I have done wrong so far.
I am ready for the Edo election, and I will not favour any political party. At the end of the day, the people of Edo will have an election that is free from pity.
Regarding preparations for Saturday’s gubernatorial elections, Onuoha stated that everything is in place, with sensitive materials already dispatched to their respective local government areas.
“The campaign for political parties ended yesterday at midnight. We have only one activity left, and that is the election for tomorrow. The INEC is prepared for this election. Yesterday, we distributed sensitive materials. And before we did that; we invited all the stakeholders, and 18 political parties and their agents were on ground to inspect the sensitive materials before the deployment to their respective local governments.
“We asked if they had any reservations, and they said they were satisfied with everything they saw,” he told Channels Television on Friday.
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