The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not redeploy Segun Agbaje, the resident electoral commissioner (REC) for Lagos state.
On February 8, Phrank Shaibu, an aide to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), called for the removal of Agbaje over the latter’s position on why the electoral body will work with the Lagos parks management committee chaired by Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
Agbajehad said he had no option other than to work with the parks committee to distribute election materials in the state.
His statement generated mixed reactions, followed by calls for his removal, coupled with allegations over delayed collection of PVCs in Lagos.
Speaking on the development at the time, Shaibu said working with the Lagos parks management committee as stated by Agbaje would “promote illegality”, adding that the committee is a “partisan organisation which is filled with APC members that are working for Bola Tinubu”.
In an interview on Wednesday, Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary to the INEc chairperson, said those demanding Agbaje’s redeployment should perish the thought.
“Let me make one thing clear upfront. Mr Agbaje will not be removed as the REC for Lagos over unfounded allegations,” he said.
“He will not only conduct the presidential and national assembly elections scheduled for February 25, he will also supervise the governorship and state house of assembly elections to be held on 11th March,” NAN quoted Oyekanmi as saying.
“He is a conscientious, honest, dependable, and hardworking REC. His integrity speaks for him in all the places where he has served.
“Let me break this down for you. During the recent continuous voter registration that took place between June 2021 and July 2022, Lagos state under Agbaje registered the highest number of voters in the country – 585,629.
“On January 27 this year, we announced that out of the 940,200 PVCs delivered to Lagos state as of that date, 839,720 PVCs representing 89.3 percent had been collected.
“This debunks the allegation that the Lagos REC deliberately withheld the PVCs belonging to persons from a particular region of the country.
“The unions don’t have vehicles, and even if they have some, they cannot possibly provide the number of vehicles that the commission requires to conduct the general election. Rather, the unions are made up of individuals that own vehicles.
“You then have to negotiate with the vehicle owners and join the unions as witnesses and for accountability purposes.”
