Tinubu consolidates grip on INEC with appointments of   key APC loyalists into electoral body 

Tinubu consolidates grip on INEC with appointments of   key APC loyalists into electoral body 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appears to be working for a smooth re-election in 2027 with the nomination of entrenched supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). 

RECs are the key officials that coordinate elections at state level. The Nigerian constitution outrightly forbids the appointment of partisan people into the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).  

In 2021, the 9th Senate that had a reputation for being ‘rubber stamp’, refused to confirm then President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominee, Lauretta Onochie, a known apologist of the APC as INEC national commissioner. 

However, rejecting the current list of RECs who have ties with the APC may be a tall order for the 10th Senate as one of them is a loyalist of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, according to findings by an online newspaper,  Premium Times. 

Another nominee is a loyalist of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Wike, though a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on paper, is a hardened supporter of the APC at the national level. 

According to the Premium Times report, no less than four out of the ten newly appointed RECs are unapologetically supporters of the APC and Tinubu in the last election. 

Recall that Tinubu on Wednesday announced the nomination of the 10 RECs.

The nominees are Etekamba Umoren (Akwa Ibom State), Isah Ehimeakne (Edo), Oluwatoyin Babalola (Ekiti), Abubakar Ma’aji (Gombe), Shehu Wahab (Kwara), Bunmi Omoseyindemi (Lagos) and Aminu Idris (Nasarawa).

Others are Mohammed Yelwa (Niger), Anugbum Onuoha (Rivers) and Isma’ila Moyi (Zamfara).

But the ones whose political affiliations are publicly known, are Umoren, Shaka, Omoseyindemi and Onuoha.

 

Umoren

Mr Umoren is a member of the APC and a long-time ally of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

He served as the Chief of Staff at the Akwa Ibom State Government House when Mr Akpabio governed the state between 2007 and 2014.

Mr Akpabio also nominated him to serve as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under his successor, Udom Emmanuel, then an ally of Mr Akpabio. Mr Umoren was only sacked in 2018 following a fallout between Messrs Akpabio and Emmanuel, which also led to the removal of other key allies in the state executive council.

In August 2018, during a welcome rally for Mr Akpabio in Uyo, Mr Umoren and other sacked members of Mr Emmanuel’s state executive council embraced the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In what could best be described as an induction into the party, Mr Umoren accepted a broom, an emblem of the APC, from Mr Akpabio on stage and chanted APC through the speakers.

“Akwa Ibom, you are in safe hands,” he told the audience as he shook the broom vigorously.

Shaka

Another open supporter of Mr Tinubu and the APC is the nominee for Edo State REC, Isah Shaka.

According to Premium Times, Mr Shaka has several digital footprints and with multiple social media posts before, during and after the 2023 general elections that showed his bias towards Mr Tinubu and his party, the APC.

In one of such posts reviewed by the newspaper, Mr Shaka took to social media to list reasons other Nigerians should support Mr Tinubu just like he was doing.

In another post a few days before the presidential election that was held on 25 February, Mr Shaka showered praises on Mr Tinubu on his Facebook page.

“He is the issue,” he wrote of Mr Tinubu on 18 February. “He is the subject matter. He is the target. He is the Numero Uno in this game. He is the subject of discussion across the Nation. He is the owner of the game. He that wrestles with him sharpens him and makes him pay attention. He is the Jagaban. He is the President of Nigeria 2023-2032 By his grace Almighty God.”

Again, minutes after INEC declared Mr Tinubu winner of the presidential election around 4 a.m. on 1 March, Mr Shaka took to his page to congratulate the party. “Congratulations to all APC families,” he posted.

The newspaper says shortly after it reviewed Mr Shaka’s Facebook page where he scribbled some of his thoughts, his profile and posts were removed from the social media platform.

Omoseyindemi

The Lagos REC nominee, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, had enjoyed political patronage from Mr Tinubu and his allies since 2001. He was appointed chairman of the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board in 2001 when Mr Tinubu governed the state, a position he held until 2015.

In 2016, he was appointed an electoral commissioner in the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) by the then-governor Akinwunmi Ambode who was also an ally of Mr Tinubu at the time.

Onuoha

Another REC nominee, Mr Onuoha was found to be an ally of a top official of the Tinubu administration. He has been close to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Mr Onuoha was a Special Adviser on Lands and Surveys to Mr Wike until 2019 when he was crowned as a traditional leader in Rumuepirikom, Obio/Akpor Local Government area in the state – the same community Mr Wike hails from.

However, before he was appointed as a Special Adviser to Mr Wike, he had in 2007, served as the Commissioner, Legal and Political Parties Monitoring at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). He was one of the nine-member RSIEC Electoral Commissioners sworn in by the then-governor, Rotimi Amaechi, in 2007. They were led by the late Nimi Briggs, an emeritus professor.