By Musa Baba Adamu
Ahead of the 2023 general election, Civil Society Organizations working to promote credible elections in the country has tasked President Mohammadu Buhari to expedite action on the appointment of State Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) into the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a joint statement they issued in Abuja and addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the CSOs observed that the tenure of Resident Electoral Commissioners of ten states elapsed on 6th July and needed to be filled expeditiously to enable the incoming RECs adjust to their new roles before the 2023 presidential election.
The States include Anambra, Enugu, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Oyo, Kogi, Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba state.
They equally noted that eight other RECs from Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa, Katsina, Osun, Niger, Akwa-Ibom, and Sokoto are due to complete their terms on 11th August 2022.
“Cumulatively, INEC offices in eighteen states will witness leadership transition 215 days (7 months) to the 2023 general election. The civil society community is concerned about the delay in the appointment of RECs into INEC especially in the 10 states where the tenure of the outgone RECs has expired.
“No doubt, the exit of the RECs creates a leadership vacuum in those states that begs for urgent action from the President and National Assembly. The appointment of RECs has become very urgent considering the Commission is entering a critical phase in the preparations for the 2023 general elections, particularly with the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR)”.
