Ex-REC advises IG, others against transfers before general elections

Just retired Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini, has advised the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other heads of security agencies against transferring commissioners of police out of states six months to conduct of general elections to enable them get familiar with the personnel in their command, as well as have sufficient knowledge and understanding of their commands.

According to him, this admonition stemmed from his experience as REC in Akwa Ibom, where, influential politicians in the state caused the transfer of seven police officers and other security personnel in build-up to the 2019 general elections.

Igini made these revelations while addressing political stakeholders and journalists in the state as he was retiring from active service from the commission in Uyo.

The fearless and outspoken REC, who was taking an overview of his tenure in Akwa Ibom, stressed that such actions were taken because the security officials refused to compromise due processes in conducting the said elections.

Igini said: “These influential politicians have redeployed, from this state, over seven commissioners of police and heads of other security agencies that were unwilling to be part of the process of subverting the 2019 elections. This practice should not be allowed to happen as we approach the 2023 elections. Commissioners of police and other heads of security agencies should not be posted out of states six months to the conduct of general elections so that they can know the personnel in their command and have sufficient knowledge and understanding of their commands.

“It may interest you to know that it was the intelligence reports we received and acted upon within 48 hours to the governorship and State House of Assembly election that rendered useless pre-written election results of 26 out of 31 local councils that were flown into Uyo. I went to the Central Bank and spent hours to endorse result sheets of the entire state. And that was what saved the 2019 election from producing a totally different outcome from the choices that the people eventually made at the polling units.”