By Oluwakemi Kindness
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called for the immediate removal of the Ebonyi State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Pauline Ugoyenka, from the state ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Adeleke, through the Imole Campaign Council, also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain Ugoyenka’s alleged presence in Osun.
The campaign council made the demand in a statement signed by its Chairman of Media and Publicity Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam.
The council alleged that Ugoyenka was not among the RECs deployed to Osun for the August 15 election.
Salam claimed that the Ebonyi REC was currently in Osogbo despite Ebonyi State being absent from INEC’s list of states providing supervisory officials for the election.
He asked INEC to explain who authorised Ugoyenka’s presence in Osun and clarify her role and activities.
“This is an election, not a covert operation,” Salam said, urging INEC to publish the full list of officials deployed for the poll.
The campaign council also raised concerns over the alleged use of uncustomised ballot papers and result sheets for the election.
The statement said the council demanded that INEC ensure only properly customised and verified electoral materials specifically produced for the Osun governorship election are used.
The council warned that any arrangement capable of compromising the transparency and credibility of the election would be resisted.
The council further urged INEC to provide immediate clarification on both the alleged presence of the Ebonyi REC and the electoral materials ahead of Saturday’s poll.
