The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday charged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to immediately redeploy the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
PDP said Yakubu should redeploy Agu for allegedly having been compromised to manipulate the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State in favour of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The opposition party urged the INEC chairman to take a cue from the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who redeployed the Commissioner of Police in Imo State in response to the demand of the people for neutrality in the November 11 poll.
A statement by PDP’s spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, said: “Prof. Yakubu should forestall an impending crisis in the Imo State election by heeding the insistent outcry, Petitions and Protests by the people of Imo State, Political Parties, Civil Society Organizations as well as Ohaneze Youth Council for the removal of the Prof. Sylvia Agu who has been allegedly compromised by the APC.
“The people of Imo State cannot accept any electoral process with Prof. Agu as REC, given her reported role in the brazen manipulation of the 2023 National and House of Assembly elections in Imo State in favour of the APC, which is still in the public domain.
“The redeployment of Sylvia Agu out of Imo State is therefore the only way to restore confidence in the electoral process, guarantee a credible election and avert crisis in the State.
“This is especially so as there are very disturbing allegations in the public space of clandestine meetings between Prof. Agu and certain APC agents said to have been facilitated by her close relative, who is an APC national officer, ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State.
“The PDP calls on the INEC Chairman to note that the integrity of an election principally lies in the confidence of the electorate in the electoral process.
“Prof. Sylvia Agu has lost the rectitude as Resident Electoral Commissioner and should not be part of the conduct of the November 11, 2023 governorship election. Her continuing stay in office as Imo REC is vexatious and a recipe for crisis.
“The PDP therefore restates its demand on the INEC Chairman to immediately redeploy Prof. Sylvia Agu out of Imo State so as to restore the confidence of the people and the integrity of the electoral process.”
