APC urges Jega to sanction Enugu REC for misconduc

The All Progressives Congress in Enugu State has asked the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Atahiru Jega, to sanction the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Professor Chukwuemeka Onukaogu, for alleged misconduct.

The request followed the REC’s visit to the chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area, Mr. Emeka Ede, a Peoples Democratic Party member, an action which the APC said amounted to misconduct on the part of the INEC official.

The call was contained in a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity, Enugu State APC Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation, Emeka Okafor, titled ‘The Visit of Resident Electoral Commissioner, for Enugu State to the Office of the Enugu North LG Council Chairman, Unwarranted’.

The APC noted that, against the backdrop of challenges faced by INEC in the build up to the 2015 general elections, including the inaccessibility and inadequacy of Permanent Voter Cards and concerns over the reliability of the electronic card reader machine, the Commission’s officials should avoid any action that would cast doubt on their readiness to conduct free and fair polls.

He stressed that INEC must prove to Nigerians and the international community that it is capable of independently conducting free, fair and credible elections.

The Enugu APC campaign spokesman further stressed that INEC’s ability to live up to expectation depends on the credibility of its principal officers as persons of unquestionable integrity, as stipulated in the provisions of section 14, third schedule, part 1 of the 1999 Constitution.

The Enugu APC accused the REC of hobnobbing with politicians by his visit to the local council chairman.

Okafor said, “To sustain this integrity, INEC staff, especially principal officers must shun the tendency to hobnob with desperate politicians who are determined to scuttle the democratic process by shortchanging the due process of power transfer.

“It is on this note that the APC in Enugu State condemns the recent visit of the REC for Enugu State to the council chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area, Mr. Emeka Ede, on Wednesday, 4th March, 2015.

“The visit which allegedly spanned almost three hours is a taint on the integrity of the REC and denigrating of his office.

“At this time when public search light is beamed on INEC, it is expected that INEC staff should be careful in their official conduct.

“Any personnel whose action and conduct will tend to undermine the impartiality of INEC must face official sanctions.”

He argued that if the meeting between the council chairman and the REC was necessary, the council chairman ought to have officially visited the REC in his office and not the other way round.

The visit has sent very bad signals, according to the Enugu APC spokesman.

Noting that the visit has cast doubt on the impartiality of INEC in Enugu State, Okafor urged Jega to immediately sanction the REC for “creating a bad image for the electoral body.”

He equally urged “all Nigerians of conscience and goodwill to join in condemning the action of the REC.”