TMG Kicks Against Nominations Of APC Chieftains As INEC Commissioners
The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), has kicked against the nominations of political party chieftains as Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the Independent National Commission (INEC).
TMG in a statement by its Chairman, Mr. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, expressed serious concern over what it described as the surreptitious nominations of card-carrying members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), into the decision making structure of the INEC at all levels.
Musa therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to, in the spirit of his avowed commitment to anti-corruption and transparency, withdraw all the names of political party chieftains or card-carrying members contained in the nominations, and consider their immediate replacements with persons of integrity and unquestionable character, to demonstrate non-partisanship in the selections and nominations.
He also called on the National Assembly not to confirm the nominated party chieftains but, should insist on transparency and non-partisanship in the selections in order to uphold democratic value and electoral integrity, while proving respect for the sanity and sanctity of the rule of law.
TMG equally called on INEC to give detailed and verifiable positions of the nominated persons and rationale for their selections as well as prerequisite for the recent adjustments in the Commission’s structure and compositions at all levels.
TMG stated that such a development is an enabling strategy to influence the process and outcome of 2023 General Elections, stressing that the provisions of the 1999 Constitution are clear on the compositions, and major appointments into the structure of INEC.
TMG further said; “We are displeased by the apparent partisanship and favouritism through the nominations of the party’s card-carrying members as INEC Commissioners and State Resident Electoral Commissioners”.
The TMG Chairman said that this was just as some Nigerians noted that the recent unmerited promotions and strategic deployments across the country initiated within the Commission was to upturn votes or create inconclusive situations that will be exploited by unscrupulous politicians in forcing or rigging their way into power.
Musa also said that the TMG is seriously concerned by the potential impact of such a major push from the Presidency on the overall credibility, transparency and integrity of the 2023 General Elections.
He said; “We condemn in totality the appointments of card-carrying members of any political party as a controlling strategy that can compromise the competence and objectivity of INEC under which the independence and integrity of the Commission cannot be guaranteed to deliver free, fair and credible elections”.
