Guber Election: Makinde, South West PDP Demand Immediate Removal Of Ondo REC

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have separately called for the removal of Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, the resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Ondo State.

Governor Makinde, speaking at the PDP campaign rally in Akure on Tuesday, questioned Babalola’s integrity and credibility. He said she is from Ondo state and allegedly has ties with some members of the ruling All Progressive Congress.

Makinde said, “This message is for the INEC national chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood; you must remove the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola; she is from Ondo State. What they did in Edo State, they cannot do in Ondo State.

“We will protest until she is removed. Bring another REC that will be fair and allow a level playing field. We, as PDP, are not afraid of a fair contest. Remove her; otherwise, we will continue to protest.”

In a statement on Wednesday, the Southwest chapter of the PDP backed Governor Makinde’s call for the immediate removal of the Ondo State REC. The party also expressed concern for the credibility of the November 16 governorship election.

A chieftain of the party in the region, Sanya Atofarati, stressed the alleged alliance of the REC with members of the ruling party.

Atofarati said, “The Southwest PDP remains resolute in their support for the redeployment call of Mrs Toyin Babalola, who is currently the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State because she cannot be trusted to superintend the November governorship election due to her conspicuous ties with the ruling APC in the state.

“The people of Ondo State, especially the downtrodden, are particularly concerned about the upcoming election, and INEC is responsible for ensuring transparency and accountability in the electoral processes. The people will not tolerate manipulation by a known ally of the state Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and other APC leaders,” he said.

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Oluwatobi Odeyinka

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