Nigerians have been alerted of the infiltration of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) by elements loyal to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which may put the electoral umpire in a compromising position in future elections.
Reacting to the nomination of Lagos State University (LASU) Don, Prof Abubakar Momoh as the Director General of the Electoral Institute, Afenifere Chieftain and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, in a release issued on behalf of Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) today, stated that Prof Momoh was one of the notable intellectual support for Senator Bola Tinubu and governors of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in South West States.
Adeyeye recalled that Momoh was one of the partisan elements disguised as Election Observers during the Ekiti state governorship rerun election in 2009, who were caught in Oye and Ifaki-Ekiti, with electoral materials.
Momoh was caught alongside one ACN chieftain in Lagos State, who was then a Commissioner in the Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Fuad Oki and other chieftains of the party. When they were caught, already prepared election results were found on them with telephone contacts of top leaders of the defunct ACN.
The PDP governorship aspirant noted that; “Prof Momoh was also one of the witnesses of the ACN candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, current Governor of Ekiti state at the election tribunal.
“He (Momoh) had also served on the Board of Governor Fayemi’s Non Governmental Organisation, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
“Therefore, with such a personality now given a prominent position in INEC, his disposition and extent of the compromising capability in any electoral contest, especially the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti and Osun States, involving the opposition parties can better be imagined.”
Adeyeye recalled how warnings by a group, the Elections Transparency Group (ETG) was ignored in the past regarding the appointment of one of the current National Commissioners representing the South West, Prof Lai Olorode, who was one of the speech writers of Tinubu.
He also reminded Nigerians that the present State Electoral Commissioner in Osun state, Rufus Akeju was alleged to be a Personal Assistant of Tinubu and a court of competent jurisdiction granted an order restraining Akeju from supervising the 2011 general elections in Osun State, but INEC ignored the order.
“We are again warning long before the 2014 and 2015 elections so as to put Nigerians on the alert with respect to invidious plans to put booby traps in the way of transparent elections in the country, which is a negation of the national quest for saner polls.
“It is our view party that it should be part of the electoral ethics that persons whose political sentiments and loyalties are already known must not be saddled with the job of electoral umpires.
“Election umpires must like Ceasers wife be above board.
“We therefore call on the National Assembly to checkmate the appointment of Professor Momoh, a notable APC ally from being employed as the Director General of INEC Electoral Institute,” Adeyeye said.