Mass Exodus at INEC as Tenure of 33 RECs Expires
202 indicted staff to know fate next week
Barely a few months after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) got its full compliment of the national commissioners in place, the election umpire is now faced with the prospect of losing 33 of its state Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) due to tenure expiration.
About 28 RECs have already completed their tenure and are on their way out, whereas the tenure of another four will expire next week, bringing the total to 33 out the 37 RECs covering the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
While giving update on the commission’s activities at the headquarters of INEC in Abuja yesterday, one of the National Commissioners, May Agbamuche-Mbu, said that the 29 of its staff indicted by the police probe panel/ administrative panel have been referred for disciplinary action.
She also said that 202 INEC staff from 14 states who were indicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) report for benefiting from the alleged N23billion election bribe money in 2015 are currently facing an internal administrative panel, adding that they would know their fate next week.
The INEC commissioner who was flanked by two other National Commissioners, Prof. Ok exhumed Ibeanu and Mohammed Haruna, said apart from the four RECs that are billed to leave office next week, 28 others have already completed their tenure.
“By March 4, five more RECs will complete their tenure. This is in addition to the 28 RECs who had earlier completed their tenure with the commission,” she said.
The four RECs who will be leaving their duty posts next week are, Prof. Jacob Jatau (FCT), Mr. Segue Agbaje (Ondo) Austin Okogie (Bayelsa), and Mr. Nasir Ayilara (Niger).
On the processes being pursued to get all those indicted of election misconduct punished, Agbamuche-Mbu said: “You may recall that last year, the commission received a report from the EFCC in which some of staff were accused of certain infractions. A total of 202 INEC officials from 14 states were mentioned in the report. Based on the EFCC’s interim report, the commission subsequently queried and invited the them to appear before an administrative panel.”
She also said cases of another 29 staff of the commission earlier indicted by the police investigative panel and subsequently recommended for disciplinary action have been referred to the Disciplinary committee.
The national commissioner, further stated that in keeping with the recommendations made by the disciplinary panel on the misconduct during the Rivers State rerun election, the commission has redeployed all senior management staff in its Rivers State office.
The affected officers include the Administrative Secretary, all Heads of Departments, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors as well as all 23 electoral officers heading local government offices.
The national commissioner also spoke on the number of associations that have so far applied for registration of as political parties, saying it has reached 72 with more of such applications still expected.