Jega urges Tinubu to review appointment of INEC RECs

A former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Monday urged President Bola Tinubu to review the appointment of 10 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) into the commission.

President Tinubu on October 25 appointed 10 persons as RECs to present Lagos, Kwara, and eight other states in the commission.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties rejected the appointments over the alleged inclusion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyalists in the list.

Jega, who spoke on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today, asked President Tinubu to review the appointments over partisan concerns.

He said the confusion caused by the appointment of the RECs could be an indication that Tinubu was not furnished with the details of the nominees.

The ex-INEC chief said: “I think there is no doubt that if the President were listening, my advice would be to immediately review the appointment of the Resident Electoral Commissioners that was passed by the Senate recently.

“It’s very, very important because clearly, not only does it send a wrong signal about the government’s intention to improve the integrity of elections. It also suggests, you know, that there is indifference with regard to protecting the independence and the impartiality of the election management body.

“I would want to believe that Mr. President was either misinformed or is not really furnished with all the necessary details with regards to these appointments.”

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