Conference of Nigeria Political Parties [CNPP] in Osun state yesterday demanded immediate removal of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner [REC], Ambassador Oluwatoyin Rufus Akeju,from the state before the August,9 governorship election.
Addressing a press conference at the Oyo NUJ press centre in Ibadan,the Osun CNPP Chairman, Pastor Popoola Olatunji declared that for a peaceful,free and fair governorship election to be held in Osun,the REC must be transfered out of Osun state now.
He alleged that the REC is biased in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress [APC] and cannot be fair in the conduct of the Osun governorship election.
“We want to unequivocally re emphasized our lack of confidence in the person of Ambassador Oluwatoyin Rufus Akeju, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun state and we hereby demand for his immediate redeployment/removal from the state,” he said.
According to the Osun CNPP Chairman, “if the REC should go ahead conducting the August,9 election, there will be chaos in the state”, adding, “we are saying that if Ambassador Akeju is allowed to conduct the election, that may mar the conduct of the August 9,governorship election in Osun state”.
The CNPP Chairman lamented that it was unfortunate that INEC has been finding it difficult to yield to the calls for the removal or deployment of the REC since 2011, saying, “we don’t know why is it not possible or difficult for INEC to transfer Ambassador Akeju as REC from Osun state. He is not fit to conduct the election”.
“If this man is the one that is going to conduct election in Osun state come August,9, there might be chaos in the state and we are saying all these because we don’t have any other place to claim than Osun,” the CNPP stated.
Olatunji maintained that as far as all the political parties in Osun state with the exception of the ruling APC is concerned, “with Ambassador Akeju, there cannot be peaceful, free and fair election in Osun state”.
