Ahead of the forthcoming off-cycle November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has demanded the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in the state, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola.
While flagging off its campaign in Akure, the state capital on Tuesday, the party disclosed that the REC has ties with the state, hence her tendency to be biased.
Osun Defender reports that Babalola is a native of Ondo State.
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has called out INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, for the replacement of the current Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, who is also a native of Ondo State, for transparency in the forthcoming… pic.twitter.com/eAoyFXwv1s
— Oyo Affairs (@Oyoaffairs) October 15, 2024
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who is the leader of the party in the southwest, urged the National Chairman of INEC not to allow Babalola to superintend over the election for transparency in the purpose.
READ: Internal Crisis: PDP Governors Nullify Suspensions
His words, “I just have one thing to say and the message is for the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu. You must remove the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola. She is from Ondo. What you did in Edo won’t be allowed in Ondo(speaks in Yorruba).We will protest until she is removed. Bring another REC that will be fair and allow a level playing field”.
While appealing to the prospective electorate not to trade their votes, stressing that PDP states had proven to be better than APC-controlled states in terms of governance.
“Don’t trade your votes. We can now all see where vote buying has led us. You can see all the good things that are happening in Oyo, Osun, and all other PDP states in Nigeria. This is the beginning of the victory party for the PDP in Ondo State.
On his part, the Governor of Osun State and Chairman of the National Campaign Council, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who described the governorship candidate of the party as the best choice for the people, said, “Agboola is a tested hand. Anyone with God will never be put to shame. I bring you good news from Osun State.”
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
