The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said the nomination of Etekamba Umoren by President Bola Tinubu, as Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was a violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022.

Umoren who is from Akwa Ibom State, was one of the seven RECs whose nomination was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday. He was nominated by Tinubu about two weeks ago, to fill one of the vacancies in the election management body.

But PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, at a press conference on Thursday, said Umoren is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who has campaigned for the party in previous elections.

“It is imperative to state that section 141 of the Electoral Act, 2022 is clear and unambiguous in barring partisan persons like APC’s Etekamba Umoren from holding any position whatsoever in INEC,” the PDP spokesperson said.

He argued that the provision that confers and protects INEC’s statutory independence, guarantees its impartiality and non-partisanship in the electoral process.

“The violation of this key provision as in the case of Etekamba Umoren is a grievous assault on INEC’s credibility as an institution of democracy and the sanctity of the electoral process,” Ologunagba added.

He described Umoren’s nomination as a REC as “a provocative and vexatious defilement of the independence, integrity and credibility of our electoral system which cannot be allowed to stand.

“This imposition has started generating serious agitation which is a recipe for crisis and possible breakdown of law and order in Akwa Ibom State if not immediately addressed.”

According to him, “the import of the violation of Section 141 of the Electoral Act, 2022 is to the effect that any election conducted or superintended by Etekamba Umoren will be subject to illegitimacy on the ground that the electoral body is constituted contrary to and in violation of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“It is clear that the people of Akwa Ibom State, being very knowledgeable with respect to the position of the law will never allow such obnoxious imposition aimed to frustrate their will at elections.

“Moreover, the underlying substance, essence and significance of Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is for appointments into Federal Agencies, especially sensitive agencies like INEC to be made in such a manner to ‘promote national unity and also to command national loyalty.’”

He, therefore, demanded the withdrawal of Umoren’s nomination as REC by President Tinubu and warned him to steer clear of the INEC office in Akwa Ibom State.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should immediately commence the process of appointing a neutral Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State to avert crisis and illegitimacy in future elections in the state,” the PDP spokesperson further advised. (New Telegraph)

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