APC wants Enugu REC removed

AS the countdown to the February general elections Continues, the Enugu state chapter of All Progressive Congress (APC) has called on national chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to as a matter of urgency remove the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Eze Onukaogu, saying it has no confidence in him.

 But an official of the commission, told The Guardian yesterday that “Onukogu will not join issues with APC or anybody over Enugu elections”, stressing that the “REC is a professional who has always lived  up to his responsibilities”.

 Speaking at the weekend during the Forum of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Correspondents’ Chapel, State Chairman of the APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye, said the opposition party had serious reservations about the REC doing a thorough job going by his previous outings.

  He insisted that Onukaogu’s removal by the national leadership of INEC should be urgent  before the general polls, so as not to allow a repeat of what happened in Anambra under his watch.

 The party which had earlier accused the INEC of colluding with the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)in the state to ‘hoard permanent voters card’, said although the commission had intervened and brought the officer who did the act to book, it stated that it was only because the APC complained and wondered what could have happened in other cases not identified by the party.  

 Nwoye, who is also the party’s senatorial candidate for Enugu East reiterated the resolve of his party to resist all manner of electoral fraud during the forthcoming general elections in his zone and state in general.

 He explained that he decided to join the legislative race after his unsuccessful outing in 2011 because of the present poor representation of his people by the incumbent senator, Gilbert Nnaji.