Ondo Guber Poll: Group Petitions INEC, Demands Removal of  REC

Fidelis David in Akure

A group, Ondo State Vanguard, has petitioned the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, accusing the Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) of the state, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, of plotting to manipulate the results of the November 16 governorship election in favour of a particular party.

In the petition dated September 27, 2024, and filed on behalf of the group by Adeniyi Farinto & Co. (legal practitioners), the group alleged that Mrs. Babalola has been engaging in nocturnal meetings with the candidate and chairman of the party.

Basically, the petitioner demanded that  Babalola should be redeployed from the state on grounds that she allegedly could not be fair if allowed to conduct the November 16, 2024, gubernatorial election in Ondo State. Besides, the petitioner alleged that Babalola had a handful of members of the party as her childhood friends while growing up in Akure, the state capital.

The group said: “We were reliably informed by our clients that Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola was appointed as Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner on December 18, 2023, to replace Dr. Rufus Akeju preparatory to the off cycle governorship election in state on November 16, 2024.

“We were further informed by our clients whom we verily believe that the said Mrs. Babalola, upon assumption of office since December 18, 2023, has started fraternizing with prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, especially the state Chairman of the party, Ade Adetimehin, and the state Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, before the primary elections conducted by the APC on April 20, 2024.

“Discreet investigation conducted by our clients revealed that between April 20, 2024 when the primary election to nominate the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was conducted and now, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola has held three nocturnal meetings with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who is the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming election. This raises serious concerns among the citizens, voters, and the stakeholders in Ondo State of the impartiality and neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections.”

The group further alleged that the incumbent governor recently allocated certain plots of land in different choice locations in Akure, the state capital, to Babalola and promised to build a house for her if she uses her influence and power as the Ondo State Electoral Commissioner to manipulate and rig the forthcoming election in his favour.

“Our Clients further informed us that Mrs. Babalola was born, bred and had her education in Akure, Ondo State, by reason of which she has so many friends in Akure who are prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and that the body language of Babalola lately has been tilting towards supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as she did when she unilaterally validated the report of the primary election of the APC which was never held in the state,” the group alleged.

Apart from the above, they alleged that “Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola has been living in Akure at No. 3, Majekodunmi Street, Ijoka area, Akure, with her parents for a period of more than 10 years before her appointment as the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, and she and her parents are known to be card-carrying members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The above facts, which are in the public domain, is an attestation to the fact that Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola will not and can never be fair, unbiased, and an uncompromised umpire in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election as the Resident Electoral Commissioner. We were also informed by our clients that the party in government in Ondo State, which is the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been boasting to the hearing of the general populace in Ondo State that Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola was made the Resident Electoral Commissioner and posted to Ondo State in order to manipulate, actualize and ensure the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at all cost in the forthcoming governorship election on November 16, 2024.”

However, while reacting to the petition, the REC said: “It is not true, I didn’t hold any clandestine meeting with the governor neither with any member of any political party. In INEC, we relate with all political parties; I have been operating open-door policies to all, and I don’t have any preferred candidate for the election.

“I am not a member of any political party. In this election, we will ensure every vote counts, and I promise that there won’t be any space for of bias, and the election will be free, fair and credible.”