By Damilare Adeleye
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted claim made by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ondo State, Mrs. Toyin Babalola, was from the state.
The governor, speaking while kicking off the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign in Akure on Tuesday, had asked INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to remove the current Ondo State REC to enable transparency in the forthcoming governorship election.
He vowed that what happened in Edo State will not be allowed to happen in Ondo, referring to allegations by the party that INEC connived with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the election.
Makinde said, “This message is for the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, you just remove the current Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola. She is from Ondo State.”
“What you did in Edo will not be allowed in Ondo, we will protest until she is removed. Bring another REC that will be fair and allow a level playing field,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Tuesday, INEC stated that Mrs. Babalola is not from Ondo State.
The electoral umpire added that in line with the Commission’s policy, it doesn’t not deploy a REC to his or her State of origin.
INEC’s statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to an allegation made by the Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde at his party’s campaign rally held today in Akure in which he called on the INEC Chairman to remove the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ondo State, Mrs. Toyin Babalola, because “she is from Ondo State.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mrs. Babalola is not from Ondo State in line with the Commission’s policy not to deploy a REC to his or her State of origin. In 2020, ahead of the last Governorship election in the same State, he accused a senior official of the Commission of working with the Vice Chancellor of a federal university to undermine the election. The allegation was untrue.
“We appeal to holders of high public office such as Governor Makinde to verify their information before making these serial, unfounded allegations.”