'Southeast Zero': Full List of States President Tinubu’s Newly-appointed INEC RECs Will Serve
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, October, 25, appointed new Resident Electoral Commissioners for Gombe, Edo, Ekiti, Kwara, Nasarawa, Lagos, Niger, Rivers, and Zamfara states
- In Nigeria, Resident Electoral Commissioner is a title given to a person in charge of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the state level
- Resident Electoral Commissioners act according to powers delegated to him or her by INEC's national chairperson
- Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 6-year-experience covering politics in Nigeria
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FCT, Abuja - President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, October 25, approved the appointment of nine Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
The new RECs will serve under the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a term of five years each — subject to the confirmation of the Senate.
Source: Twitter
Tinubu appoints new REC for Lagos, others
Presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement, said the appointment was done based on powers vested on the Nigerian leader by Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 6 of the Electoral Act 2022.
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The first major duty for the RECs would be the off-cycle elections coming up in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states in November. Subsequently, they will superintend the Edo and Ondo governorship polls in 2024.
Of the nine appointees, no REC was announced for any southeast state. At least one state from each of the other geopolitical zones had a new REC. It is not immediately clear if President Tinubu would soon appoint another set of RECs.
Legit.ng looks at the profile of some of the new RECs:
1) Bamidele Agbede — Ekiti state REC
Agbede is the former Head of Service in the Ekiti State Civil Service.
He also held the position of Permanent Secretary (PS) of the ministry of works and transport.
Agbede holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History as well as a Law degree from the Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University), Ado-Ekiti. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2006.
2) Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi — Lagos REC
Dr. Omoseyindemi has been one of the commissioners of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
He is a former boss of the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board as well as a one-time chairman of the Lagos State Health Volunteer Scheme programme of the ministry of health.
3) Dr. Anugbum Onuoha — Rivers REC
Dr. Onuoha has experience in electoral matters, especially having been a commissioner in the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
The new REC is an ally of Nyesom Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
He served as Special Adviser on Lands and Survey to Wike during the minister's time as governor of Rivers state.
In 2019, Onuoha was abducted in a hotel on Ada George road in Port Harcourt by armed men dressed in military fatigue.
He was subsequently released.
New INEC RECs by geopolitical zone:
- Southwest - 2
- North East - 1
- Southsouth - 2
- Northcentral - 3
- North West - 1
Dalung furious with INEC
In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that a former minister of Youth and Sports Development, Barrister Solomon Dalung, faulted the integrity of elections conducted by INEC.
Dalung said “INEC can just sit in their office and declare a winner”.
INEC chairman shouldn’t be appointed by presidents
Legit.ng also reported that Prof Attahiru Jega, a former INEC chairman, called for the review of the appointment of the Commission’s Chairman by the president.
Jega said the President should not be the one to appoint the INEC Chairman. He said this is important to prevent the perception that “he who pays the piper dictates the tune”.
Source: Legit.ng
