Following the redeployment of the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, to the Force Headquarters, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate redeployment of the Imo Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Sylvia Agu.
The party, in a statement on Monday, November 6, commended the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun for being responsive and proactive in nipping potential crisis in the bud.
The statement, signed by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made a similar demand on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to redeploy the Imo REC over his alleged compromise.
The call for the REC’s removal is coming ahead of the Imo State governorship election slated for Saturday, November 11.
The PDP charged the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to take a cue from IGP Egbetokun and redeploy Prof Agu in response to the outcry and demands for neutrality in the governorship election.
The statement said,
“The PDP urges the INEC chairman to take a cue from the Inspector General of Police who redeployed the Commissioner of Police in Imo State in response to the outcry and demands of the people for neutrality in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the State.
“Prof. Yakubu should forestall an impending crisis in the Imo State election by heeding the insistent outcry, petitions and protests by the people of Imo State, political parties, Civil Society Organizations as well as Ohaneze Youth Council for the removal of the Prof. Sylvia Agu who has been allegedly compromised by the APC.
“The people of Imo State cannot accept any electoral process with Prof. Agu as REC, given her reported role in the brazen manipulation of the 2023 National and House of Assembly elections in Imo State in favour of the APC, which is still in the public domain.
“The redeployment of Sylvia Agu out of Imo State is therefore the only way to restore confidence in the electoral process, guarantee a credible election and avert crisis in the State.
“This is especially so as there are very disturbing allegations in the public space of clandestine meetings between Prof. Agu and certain APC agents said to have been facilitated by her close relative, who is an APC national officer, ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State.”
The party called on the INEC Chairman to note that the integrity of an election principally lies in the confidence of the electorate in the electoral process.
The PDP said Prof. Agu has lost the rectitude as Resident Electoral Commissioner and should not be part of the conduct of the November 11, 2023 governorship election, stressing that her continuing stay in office as REC was vexatious and a recipe for crisis.
The party said only the redeployment of the REC can restore the people’s confidence of the Imo people and the integrity of the electoral process.
