20 INEC commissioners to go in June, August

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will discharge 20 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) by June and August this year.

The REC in Niger State, Prof Sam Egwu, revealed that his tenure and that of 19 other RECs would elapse between June and August this year.

He said, “By the end of June, about 20 RECs will leave, and that will include those who have served their second term, and therefore, would not be eligible for reappointment. And in August, another set will also leave.”

Egwu stressed the need for the timely appointment of new RECs to ensure that there was no disruption in the electoral process.

He said building institutions was important to addressing political and electoral problems in the country.

Some of the affected RECs were appointed or re-appointed in 2017.

When contacted, Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, the spokesman of the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said that the commission was aware of the development and that some of those affected would leave from June or July this year.

He said, “The commission is aware of the development, some of those affected have exhausted their two-term maximum tenure, some have one tenure and can be reconsidered by the federal government. The commission would, at the appropriate time, notify the authorities on the development.”

Responding on the next line of action for INEC in the event of any delay in appointing new RECs, he said, “The administrative secretaries are like permanent secretaries and are capable of holding forth when the need arises.” (Daily Trust)