2023 Elections: Atiku Calls for Removal of Lagos INEC REC Over Planned Collaboration With MC Oluomo

2023 Elections: Atiku Calls for Removal of Lagos INEC REC Over Planned Collaboration With MC Oluomo

  • More controversies have begun to ensue in the build-up to the 2023 general election slated for Saturday, February 25
  • PDP bannerman, Atiku Abubakar, has called on INEC to immediately dismiss Olusegun Agbaje, the INEC REC in Lagos state
  • Agbaja recently spoke of a collaboration between the Lagos INEC chapter and MC Oluomo, a staunch supporter of the APC, to help the commission with the movement of election materials

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised an alarm over the proposed collaboration between the Lagos state chapter of INEC and the controversial leader of transporters in the state Musiliu Akinsanya, better known as MC Oluomo.

This criticism is coming less than 24 hours after the resident electoral commissioner, Olusegun Agbaje, called for collaboration with the union of road transport workers in order to help INEC with logistics during the election.

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Atiku Abubakar, INEC, Lagos State, 2023 Election
Atiku Abubakar calls for the dismissal of Lagos INEC REC, Olusegun Agbaja over plans to work with MC Oluomo. Photo: Atiku Abubakar
Source: Depositphotos

As reported by the Punch newspaper, Atiku's Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in a statement issued on Wednesday, February 8, called for the dismissal of Mr Agbaje by INEC.

According to Shuaibu, the usage of the Lagos State Park and Garage Management Committee will compromise the credibility of the election based on the premise that MC Oluomo is a staunch member and supporter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), as well as a protégé of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the APC.

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Shuaibu was quoted by the Nigerian Tribune saying:

“The law is clear that only a court has the power to proscribe an organisation. That was why the Federal Government had to go to court to proscribe the Indigenous People of Biafra and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.
“What Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu did in Lagos State was to arbitrarily announce a ban on the activities of the NURTW because the organisation suspended MC Oluomo, the APC’s henchman. INEC must not promote illegality by working with a partisan organisation which is filled with APC members that are working for Bola Tinubu.

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Atiku recalls Agbaje's alleged fraud in Osun re-run as INEC REC

As contained in the statement, Shauibu reflected on Agbaje's role in the 2018 re-run election in Osun state, which was under his watch as an INEC REC.

He alleged that Agbaje fraudulently sabotaged the election and stole the mandate of the PDP while noting that even the United States and the United Kingdom confirmed the lack of credibility in the election.

As reported by This Day, Shuaibi said:

“Recall that it was Agbaje who superintended over the fraudulent and violent Osun governorship rerun which produced Gboyega Oyetola as governor. US Consul General, John Bray was spot on when he stated: ‘We witnessed what appeared to be incidents of interference and intimidation of voters and heard reports of harassment or party monitors, journalists and domestic observers.’”
“Unfortunately, it is the same Agbaje, who could not effectively supervise a rerun in a few polling units that has been given the task of superintending the election in Nigeria’s largest state with over 7 million registered voters. The election is doomed to fail if INEC doesn’t do the right thing by removing him."

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2023 Elections: INEC Speaks on Why Mc Oluomo Has to Move Electoral Materials During Polls

Meanwhile, to distribute sensitive electoral materials in Lagos state, the Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will work with the Lagos State Parks Management Committee.

There has been a barrage of controversies following the use of LSPMC led by Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo.

According to the commission, it would be dealing with MC Oluomo, who is a known loyalist to Bola Tinubu but the LSPMC as an entity.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Segun Adeyemi avatar

Segun Adeyemi (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Segun Adeyemi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience as an active field reporter, editor, and editorial manager. He has had stints with Daily Trust newspaper, Daily Nigerian, and News Digest. He currently works as an editor for Legit.ng's current affairs and politics desk. He holds a degree in Mass Communication (Adekunle Ajasin University). He is a certified digital reporter by Reuters, AFP and the co-convener of the annual campus journalism awards. Email: segun.adeyemi@corp.legit.ng.