Fisayo Soyombo, a prominent Nigerian journalist, has accused President Bola Tinubu of appointing a member of his party – the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) under the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The president, this week announced the appointment of ten new RECs.
Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, said the president has started positioning his people in INEC.
His words:
“Etekamba Umoren, the first name on the list of his newly-appointed RECs, is an APC member, Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s ally and henchman, and was the subject of a petition for joining Akpabio in withdrawing N22bn from Akwa Ibom State government’s account and diverting it to sundry personal use and unjustifiable expenditures.
“Appointing Umoren as INEC’s REC in Akwa Ibom for an initial five years, asking him to oversee elections in a state he helped loot, a state where he was Permanent Secretary in the Government House, Chief of Staff to the governor and latterly Secretary to the State Government, and where he helped APC win votes, surely isn’t accidental.
”What’s more? The Senate that will confirm or reject Umoren is chaired by Umoren’s mentor and principal, Akpabio.
”The backdoor manipulation of voter choices in 2027 has kicked off four years ahead of schedule!”