2023: Atiku loses faith in Lagos REC, Agbaje because they want to collaborate with Oluomo

Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday to immediately remove Olusegun Agbaje, the REC in Lagos State, for alleged partisanship, alarmed by a potential threat to the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections on February 25.

Agbaje had previously insisted on working with the MC Oluomo-led parks committee to distribute goods in Lagos after the former Vice President had previously raised an alarm.

The Lagos State Governor had already banned both NURTW and RTEAN, the Resident Commissioner added on Tuesday, leaving the electoral body with no choice.

In response to Agbaje’s insistence on working with the Lagos State Park and Garage Management Committee, led by Musiliu Akinsanya, nicknamed MC Oluomo, whom he characterized as a member of the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council, Phrank Shaibu, issued a statement (APC).

Agbaje’s justification that INEC wouldn’t be able to use the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) as a result of the prohibition was also criticized by Atiku as being unfounded.

In light of his alleged political interests, the former vice president urged INEC Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu to forbid a REC like Agbaje from overseeing elections in Lagos.

“The law is clear that only a court has the authority to proscribe an organization,” the statement read. In order to ban the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, the federal government had to file a lawsuit (IMN).

“What Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu did was unilaterally declare a ban on the NURTW’s operations because the group suspended MC Oluomo, an APC operative. By collaborating with a political group made up of APC members who support Bola Tinubu, INEC must not encourage criminality.

 

How were these persons given critical materials to disseminate on election day throughout Lagos? Already, the likelihood of a free and fair election has been compromised by this. Despite objections from the public, Agbaje insisted on employing MC Oluomo’s committee, which INEC must penalize.

Remember that Agbaje oversaw the violent and fraudulent Osun governorship rerun that resulted in Gboyega Oyetola being elected governor? When he said, “We watched what looked to be episodes of intervention and intimidation of voters and heard stories of harassment or party monitors, journalists, and domestic observers,” US Consul General John Bray was dead on.

“Unfortunately, the job of overseeing the election in Nigeria’s largest state, with more than 7 million registered voters, has been assigned to the same Agbaje who failed to do so successfully in a few polling places. If INEC doesn’t do the right thing and remove him, the election is going to fail.

We remind Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, chairman of INEC, that his term will finish after this election, which will be his last. If he insists that MC Oluomo must handle delicate INEC materials, we implore him to preserve his legacy by dismissing Agbaje. Not only must this election be fair, but it must also be perceived as fair.

It is disappointing that the Lagos REC, Agbaje, has started to act partisan openly. We find it odd that the local governments seen as strongholds of the opposition were the ones that were unable to obtain their PVCs.

“This 2023 general election has been referred to as a watershed by historians and analysts. Over 200 million people’s futures are in jeopardy. Although INEC claims to be prepared to conduct a legitimate and free election, the entire procedure could be jeopardized by a single weak link.

“We urge Yakubu to oust the Lagos REC because of major concerns about his credibility. We urge INEC once more not to deliver ballots on election day through the MC Oluomo-led political organization.