Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, has said that some Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) nominees have participated in political campaigns.
Samson Itodo was commenting on the recent approval of the REC nominees by the Senate during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday announced the confirmation of seven RECs through a voice vote during the plenary session.
But Itodo said appointing partisan individuals as RECs showed that Nigerians did not matter in the affairs of state.
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He argued that some of the nominees who were confirmed on Wednesday were partisan.
Itodo said, “Civil societies have been screaming and citizens complaining about these nominees that the president appointed as Resident Electoral Commissioners for two reasons.
“Some of those nominees did not meet the constitutional test of non-partisanship. Because the constitution is very clear – Section 156 as well as paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule.
“The people we appoint into the electoral commission must not have partisan affiliations. It is public knowledge that some nominees who were confirmed today are not just party members, but they have been seen, there are videos and images to show that these individuals have also campaigned for political parties.”
