By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
A Civil society group, under the umbrella of International Society For Civil Liberties And Rule Of Law have called for immediate removal of the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo, Prof. Sylvia Agu and the Local Government Electoral Officers in Imo State.
The group in a letter addressed to the office of the INEC Chairman, Professor Mohammed Yakubu, accused the REC, Sylvia Agu and Electoral Officers in the twenty seven Local Government Council Areas of Imo State of being incapable of ensuring participatory and credible gubernatorial poll in Imo state.
The letter was endorsed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, who was identified as the Board Chairman, Chinwe Umeje the Sectary of group and made available to our correspondent for publication on Monday 21, August, 2023.
The letter, partly read. “Time to transfer Rec Sylvia Agu and INEC’s 27 LGAs electoral Officers in Imo, who have long overstayed their welcome… Opposes Rec’s invitation of 2,300 soldiers and militarization of the poll and result collation centers.
“The international Society For Civil Liberties And Rule Of Law (intersociety) is writing your Commission, so as to draw it’s attention to the above.
“This timely letter of ours is to enable the Commission enough to to expeditiously and critically respond to the subject matter and it’s accompany demands.
“The letter had arisen from our several checks and findings, including general evaluation of the 2023 Presidential, National Assembly and State House Of Assembly polls in Imo State and several indictable roles played by substantive and ad-hoc officers during the polls.
“Reliable intelligence at our disposal had during indicated that several Officers deployed by the Commission played different indictable roles to undermine the credibility of the poll; to the extent that the State Assembly Poll in the state was the worst of it all, and a ‘workover’ for the state ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), there was also”Omuma Magic Results” during the presidential and national assembly Poll.
“Vicariously or otherwise, The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, professor Sylvia Agu did not stand tall to be respected. This was as a result of her poor handling of the polls and as a result, she can not be trusted to deliver a participatory and credible Governorship Poll in Imo State, in the forthcoming Imo governorship election slated to hold by November 11.
“Therefore, intersociety, having comprehensively checked and monitored the goings in the State ahead of the November 11 has found that, present REC, Sylvia Agu and INEC’s 27 Electoral Officers in the LGAs (EOs) are grossly incapable of ensuring participatory credible Governorship Poll in Imo State.
“The Commission’s ‘fact findings’ visit to Imo State, scheduled in coming days within the week must be used as a good opportunity to address the wrongs under complaint and reposition to the Commission in Imo State ahead of the important Poll.
“The Imo INEC departments and their heads require immediate overhaul by Headquarters of the Commission that ICT and it’s head, the Local Government Electoral Officers(EOs) and so on.
“Another issue our deep concern is the militarization and ‘ privatization’ of Election collation centers. Such is also be feared ahead of Imo governorship poll slated to hold by November 11.
“We call for immediate removal of the REC, Sylvia Agu and the entire Electoral Officers (EOs) in the Local Government Areas of Imo State.
