The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, against resorting to serial and unfounded allegations against the commission, during electioneering.
Governor Makinde earlier on Tuesday called for immediate redeployment of the Ondo Resident Electoral Commission (REC) Mrs. Toyin Babalola, before the November 16 governorship election, to ensure the neutrality of the electoral umpire.
Makinde made the call during the launch of the PDP campaign for the November 16 governorship election in the State, urging the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to redeploy Babalola, over alleged partisanship and affiliation with an interested party in the election and for being ‘from Ondo State’.
INEC, however said that Mrs Babalola was not from Ondo State, as INEC don’t deploys RECs to their states of origin.
“Our attention has been drawn to an allegation made by the Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde at his party’s campaign rally held today in Akure in which he called on the INEC Chairman to remove the REC for Ondo State, Mrs. Toyin Babalola, because ‘she is from Ondo State’.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mrs. Babalola is not from Ondo State in line with the commission’s policy not to deploy a REC to his or her State of origin. In 2020, ahead of the last governorship election in the same state, he (Makinde) accused a senior official of the commission of working with the Vice Chancellor of a federal university to undermine the election.
“The allegation was untrue. We appeal to holders of high public office such as Governor Makinde to verify their information before making these serial, unfounded allegations.”