By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The Executive Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has performed the official swearing-in of six Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to fill vacancies in six states of the federation that has no Commissioners.
This is even as he also announced the deployment of the RECs to the six states without Commissioners, namely Abia, Gombe, Cross River, Ogun, Taraba, and Sokoto.
Speaking at the Swearing-in Ceremony held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday, in the presence of the National Commissioners, RECs, Secretary to the Commission, Directors and other senior officials of the Commission, Yakubu said that with the swearing-in of six RECs on Friday, all vacancies have been filled in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said it is therefore appropriate to congratulate the new RECs that have taken their oath of office, just as he recognised two members of the INEC who were attending their first public activity as National Commissioners on Friday following their swearing-in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja recently.
They are Sunday Nwambam Aja, a Professor of Educational Planning and Administration representing the South East geo-political zone and Abdulrazak Tukur Yusuf, a highly experienced election administrator, representing the North West zone.
Speaking further, Yakubu stated that aside the swearing-in of new RECs to fill vacancies in six states of the federation, the second objective of the occasion has two objectives was to discharge one of the Commission’s constitutional obligations with regard to major off-cycle elections in two states of the federation namely Osun and Ekiti.
He reminded the new RECs that the conduct of elections is not only a huge responsibility but also a sacred duty, pointing out that “as RECs, you are the representatives of the Commission in the various states to which you will be deployed shortly.
Said he: “The work of the Commission is, to say the least, very challenging. I am glad that two of you, Dr. Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem and Mukhtar Umar Gajiram, have been reappointed for a second term having served for an initial term of five years as RECs while Dr Sa’ad Umar Idris and Mrs. Feyijimi Saseyi Ibiyemi have been career staff of the Commission”.
According to the INEC boss, Chukwuemeka Christopher Ibeziako, a private legal practitioner and Umar Yusuf Garba with years of experience in the private sector are coming into the Commission for the first time.
He said that together, all six of them have cumulative experience in election administration or the management of public affairs to justify the confidence reposed in them to serve in the high office of REC.
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“As you assume or resume duty, I urge you to focus on your responsibilities. Let me make it clear from the outset that you must at all times be guided by the electoral legal framework, the code of conduct for RECs as well as the regulations and guidelines governing the Commission’s operations.
“Above all, you must always act in good conscience. Do not betray your oath of office. In the best tradition of the Commission, you must engage with stakeholders through regular consultative meetings and must not be impervious to genuine criticisms”, Yakubu told the new RECs.
The INEC Chairman however told the new RECs that: “In the various states to which you will be deployed shortly, you will be in charge of personnel and resources. Manage your personnel and the extremely limited resources at your disposal very well.
“Your appointment is a full-time and not part-time responsibility. You must provide leadership and exercise effective supervision. You can only succeed in this responsibility when you are knowledgeable about the Commission’s activities, particularly the innovations introduced in election management.
