“Suspicious” – Group raises alarm as Gov. Makinde ‘lobbies’ for return of INEC Rec, Agboke

The Better Oyo Movement (BOM), a sociopolitical group committed to the all-round development of Oyo State, said it is in receipt of credible intelligence on purported moves by the Oyo State governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, lobbying for the retention of newly re-appointed Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Mutiu Agboke, in Oyo State.

In a release in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the group wondered why the governor became so interested in the retention of Barrister Agboke as REC “when there are in fact, hundreds of other credible professionals the Commission can deploy to the state who’ll even do a better job than the re-appointed REC.”

“Why we have no business with Barrister Agboke, who has served Nigeria to the best of his abilities, and has been so honoured with reappointment, we’re worried at the governor’s interest in his retention in Oyo State, particularly to superintend the 2023 elections. That lobby by Engr Makinde, ridiculous at best, is patently suspicious in the least.

“What is the governor up to? Is there a relationship between the duo that the rest of us aren’t privy to? What bid did Barrister Agboke do for Governor Makinde in the past that the governor is so desirous of repeating in 2023?

“To forestall any underhand dealings, with Barrister Agboke having had the benefit of a four-year first term in Oyo State, with possibilities of nurturing relationships, particularly with the ruling party, we believe it will only be fair to redeploy him elsewhere, so that the relationship he may have nurtured, will not stand in the way of free, fair and credible polls in the state,” the group maintained.

Calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to, in the interest of fairness and equity, ensure its re-appointed RECs aren’t “returned to the state where they served their first term, firstly to prevent unholy alliances with the ruling parties in the respective states, and secondly to ensure their wealth of experience is utilized in other states, at least to improve the conduct of the polls, the group noted that the non-retention of these RECs in the state where they ran their first terms, is a guarantee to all parties that the 2023 polls will be credible, and its results acceptable to all.”

“We hereby call on the Oyo State governor, Engr Seyi Makinde to concentrate his efforts on his flagging reelection bid, instead of wasting precious energy on plots, subplots, themes and subthemes targeted at tainting the 2023 elections.

“The earlier he realizes that the coming polls will be one where he’ll stand alone, devoid of the plank of coalition that brought him victory in 2019, the better.

“Having been thoroughly rejected by the good people of Oyo State, the coming election will only cement that rejection, his lobby for the retention of Barrister Mutiu Agboke as Oyo Resident Electoral Commissioner notwithstanding,” BOM concluded.