PDP Asks INEC to Remove Alleged Pro-APC Sylvia Agu as Imo REC

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again charged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to immediately redeploy the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo, Prof Sylvia Agu, for alleged compromise to manipulate the November 11 governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, PDP said, “The PDP urges the INEC chairman to take a cue from the inspector general of police who redeployed the commissioners of police in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states in response to the outcry and demands of the people for neutrality in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in these states.

It urged Yakubu to “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 organisations, as well as Ohaneze Youth Council for the removal of the Prof Sylvia Agu who has been allegedly compromised by the APC.”

The opposition party claimed that the people of Imo would not accept any electoral process presided over by Agu for allegedly manipulating the outcome of the 2023 National and House of Assembly elections in Imo to favour APC.

The PDP stressed that the redeployment of Agu “is, therefore, the only way to restore confidence in the electoral process, guarantee a credible election and avert crisis” in Imo.

  “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,” said the PDP statement.

  It added, “Prof Sylvia Agu has lost the rectitude as resident electoral commissioner and should not be part of the conduct of the November 11, 2023 governorship election. Her continuing stay in office as Imo REC is vexatious and a recipe for crisis.”