CHRICED wants RECs redeployed ahead of guber, legislative polls

Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) has called for reshuffle of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to give fillip to Nigeria’s electoral process of the March 11 governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls.

In a statement by its Executive Director, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, the organisation said in the buildup to this year’s general elections, it had identified Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) state offices as weak links in the conduct of the elections.

The group specifically named the RECs as one of the weak links in the logistics chain.

CDD said: “One of the weak links in the logistic chain is the RECs in the states. In the build up to the elections, CHRICED had identified the INEC state offices as weak links in the conduct of the elections. We have always known that while the INEC leadership in Abuja may have put in place effective plans, those plans are usually undermined by the state offices.

INEC state offices run by their RECs must be held accountable for the dismal performance of the Commission. In the lead-up to the elections, CHRICED called for a reorganisation/reshuffling of the RECs to ensure that their actions or inactions do not undermine the integrity of the elections.

“Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for March 11, 2023. CHRICED urges INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to immediately reshuffle the RECs, particularly in states that experienced the most logistical and procedural lapses during the presidential and National Assembly elections.”

“CHRICED similarly calls on stakeholders in the electoral process to beam the spotlight on respective RECs to ensure they are also accountable for administrative issues, which affect the electoral process in their respective states. In the area of election security, CHRICED calls on the police to thoroughly investigate and bring to justice all the criminal elements, who were involved in the incidents, which marred elections in Edo, Lagos, Rivers and any other state in the country.

It is important also that security agencies apprehend not only the thugs, but those who sponsored them to undermine the electoral process and the sanctity of the ballot.”