Regardless being a cousin to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and one of the key persons of interest fingered in the exercise, Anugbum Onuoha, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo State, has vowed to prove to the world that he does not have any personal interest in who emerges the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had in the past weeks, called for his redeployment from the state on account of the filial relationship with the FCT Minister, who in fact appointed him as one of his aides, as Governor of Rivers State.
PDP, Godwin Obaseki, incumbent governor of the state and other stakeholders, had insisted that such family ties, indicated that the election would be skewed in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party that Wike is currently working for and which he is believed to favour in the election.
But Onuoha, a guest of Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, on Friday, dared anyone with evidence of where he had shown bias in the process of conducting the election so far to come forward with it or indicate any other incriminating evidence against his competence in conducting a free and fair poll.
Tony Aziegbemi, Chairman of PDP in the state, had asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to redeploy Onuoha over ties with Wike, adding that his party had no confidence in the REC’s ability to conduct a free and fair election in the state, a request which the commission rebuffed, saying the party should focus on the election process rather than on Onuoha, as the exercise would be conducted transparently.
Stressing the argument, the REC, told his host: “It is a fact that I am a cousin to the minister. Before my appointment, I was invited by the Senate. It screened me, and I was confirmed. I was sworn in by Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, and posted to Edo.
“Since last year, nobody complained that I am a cousin to the minister. Of course, I am a cousin to the Minister. What we should be talking about at this time is the capacity to conduct the election. From my background, I am an Associate Professor of Law. People should now ask if I have done this job before. Yes, I was an electoral commissioner in Rivers State. Nobody has complained. I am coming from the university. I am not a politician. The mere fact that I am a cousin to Wike does not preclude me from being appointed. I’m I not a Nigerian? Nigerians should have gone beyond this level.”
Joining INEC in urging political parties to come forward with evidence they had against him that could have warranted their attacks, he added: “I challenge all the political parties in Edo State to tell me what I have done wrong so far. I am ready for the Edo election, and I will not favour any political party. At the end of the day, the people of Edo will have an election that is free from pity.”
Onuoha, who spoke on the preparations for the exercise, said all is set, and sensitive materials had been deployed to their respective local government areas, adding: “The campaign for political parties ended yesterday at midnight. We have only one activity left, and that is the election for tomorrow. The INEC is prepared for this election. Yesterday, we distributed sensitive materials.
“And before we did that; we invited all the stakeholders, and 18 political parties and their agents were on ground to inspect the sensitive materials before the deployment to their respective local governments. We asked if they had any reservations, and they said they were satisfied with everything they saw.”