Forum of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2023 general election from Akwa Ibom State rose from a meeting, yesterday, and said the new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Etekamba Umoren, is not a member of its party.

At a briefing in Abuja, yesterday, presided over by the forum’s leader and former House of Representatives member, Eseme Eyiboh, critics of Umoren’s appointment were challenged to show proof of his membership of the APC.

“The law says whoever alleges must prove. So, if they are saying that Umoren is a member of the political party, they should go beyond arguments and bring out either the membership card, membership register or anything to show that he has been paying his dues, that he’s a member of the political party.

“So, the preponderance of proof has now shifted to those alleging; they should be able to prove with those facts,” he added. Eyiboh said the forum was compelled to clarify issues because of the volume of reports linking Umoren to the APC in Akwa Ibom State.

According to him, the constitutional provision that a nominee for the position of REC did not affect Umoren in any way because he was never a member of any political party before his appointment.

Responding to criticisms on Umoren’s former appointments as Chief of Staff to Akwa Ibom governor as well as Secretaryto the State Government (SSG), Eyiboh said there is nothing in the appointment that should disqualify Umoren from his NEC appointment.

He stated: “The issue of Umoren as REC is very clear. I am also aware of the petitions, complaints, and all of that. I can tell you that the law on the issue of the person, who should not be appointed is clearly stated in the constitution.”

It says the person should not be a card-carrying member of a political party.

Umoren is a bureaucrat. He served in Akwa Ibom State as a permanent secretary. He was a career Civil Servant as a permanent secretary. And he was employed in that same executive, not by the political party, as the Chief of Staff and then Secretary to State Government (SSG) not to serve a political party but to serve a government.”