In preparation for the November 11 governorship election, the Peoples Democratic Party in Imo State has again urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to redeploy the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sylvia Agu.
In a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, on Monday, the PDP said Agu should be removed “for allegedly being compromised to manipulate the November 11, 2023 governorship elections in Imo state in favour of the All Progressives Congress.”
The party further implores Yakubu to emulate the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who redeployed the Commissioners of Police in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states, in response to the outcry and demands of the people for neutrality in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the states.
This is coming following the directive of the inspector-general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to redeploy Mohammed Barde, the commissioner of police in the state.
The Informant247 had on November 1, reported how the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero was picked up from the Imo council secretariat of the NLC in Owerri by heavily armed police officers. He was said to have been beaten and blindfolded immediately after he was arrested by security operatives.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party (LP) and several civil society organisations (CSOs) had called for the removal of the commissioner over an assault on the NLC president.
However, the Imo police command denied that the NLC boss was arrested and brutalised by its officers, saying the police rescued Ajaero from a mob and he was taken into protective custody.
The IGP, while speaking in a town hall meeting on election security, on Sunday, said Barde will be removed as commissioner for the period of the election for the sake of neutrality.
“I am aware that there have been allegations on social media against the Commissioner of Police in Imo State; but for this election, we are changing the commissioner of police in Imo,” the IGP said.
“The fact that we are changing him may not be because he has been found guilty of those allegations but for neutrality’s sake, we are changing him for this election.”
However, PDP in a statement said, “Prof. Yakubu should forestall an impending crisis in the Imo State election by heeding the insistent outcry, Petitions and Protests by the people of Imo State, Political Parties, Civil Society Organizations as well as Ohaneze Youth Council for the removal of Prof. Sylvia Agu who has been allegedly compromised by the APC.
The people of Imo State cannot accept any electoral process with Prof. Agu as REC, given her reported role in the brazen manipulation of the 2023 National and House of Assembly elections in Imo State in favour of the APC, which is still in the public domain,” it added.
According to the PDP, to restore confidence in the electoral process, guarantee a credible election and avert crisis in the state, “the redeployment of Agu out of Imo State is, therefore, the only way.”
“This is especially so as there are very disturbing allegations in the public space of clandestine meetings between Prof. Agu and certain APC agents said to have been facilitated by her close relative, who is an APC national officer, ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo state,” the statement added.
