ASHENEWS reports that the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has questioned the Imo government’s alleged occupation of all rooms in all hotels ahead of the governorship election in the state, and described it as an act to deny election observers the right to monitor elections in the state.
This is contained in a text of a press conference addressed by the chairman of the Group, Auwal Rafsanjani, at the Conference Room of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in Abuja on Thursday, on the off-cycle elections scheduled to be held in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states.
TMG described as disheartening, the circulation of a “memo from an agency of the Imo state government procuring every room in every single hotel in Owerri covering the period of the election.
“What this simply implies is that the state government has effectively barred domestic and foreign observers from visiting Imo ahead of the election.
“For the sake of democracy in Nigeria, TMG hopes these allegations are not true, and that the purported memo is also not true, as this would present a blow to the democratization process in Nigeria and give others in power the boldness to thwart democratic processes through barbaric acts and practices,” the statement reads.
Rafsanjani asked the state government to denounce the circular and assure observers of their safety in Owerri and other parts of the state.
“TMG urges the state government to immediately debunk this allegation and assure observers of their safety in Owerri and other parts of the state. Also, the federal government must investigate this weighty allegation and prevail on the state government to revert to democratic tenets,” Rafsanjani stated.
On pre-election insecurity in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa, the Group said “Assessments conducted by our partners including the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and Kimpact Development Initiative have reported widespread violence across many local government areas of the three states ahead of the elections.
“On the back of this evidence that is before the public, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) would like to remind every stakeholder, especially the political actors, that elections are not war, but a democratic exercise aimed at giving the people the chance to freely elect and decide those who govern over them.
“These violent conducts are undemocratic and pose serious threats to the development of democracy in Nigeria. It is important for security agencies to ensure citizens can vote in a peaceful electoral atmosphere across the three states.”
It is very disheartening to see in circulation a purported memo from an agency of the Imo state government procuring every room in every single hotel in Owerri covering the period of the election. What this simply implies is that the state government has effectively barred domestic and foreign observers from visiting Imo ahead of the election. For the sake of democracy in Nigeria, TMG hopes these allegations are not true, and that the purported memo is also not true, as this would present a blow to the democratization process in Nigeria and give others in power the boldness to thwart democratic processes through barbaric acts and practices. TMG urges the state government to immediately debunk this allegation and assure observers of their safety in Owerri and other parts of the state. Also, the federal government must investigate this weighty allegation and prevail on the state government to revert to democratic tenets.
TMG
The TMG also described as suspicious, the allocation of N18 billion to the Independent National Electoral Commission in the supplementary budget as intended for vote-buying in the off-cycle election.
“TMG also noted the recent supplementary budget by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) which has also scaled second reading at parliament. The allocation of a whooping ₦18 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to facilitate the conduct of Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi elections is completely shocking as INEC had assured that the funds for the off-cycle elections were parts of funds received ahead of the general election.
“The Commission has since gone ahead to perfect preparations for the election without any complaints about funding. What part of the election is this supplementary budget of N18 billion looking to cover? Nigerians perceive this allocation as very suspicious and fear that it could be allocated to perpetrate malpractices. Hence, the federal government must explain this huge sum to Nigerians and why it is budgeting again for what has already been budgeted.”
Rafsanjani further questioned the nomination of card-carrying party members as resident electoral commissioners by President Bola Tinubu.
“Again, we appear to be making the same mistakes of the past administration where partisan and card-carrying members of ruling political parties are nominated and appointed as Resident Electoral Commissioners of INEC. Recalling how this manifested in the 2023 election, especially in Adamawa State, Nigerians are worried that the current president is going in the same direction.
“While TMG notes the constitutional powers of the president to make these appointments, it is also unconstitutional to appoint partisan persons to these positions. TMG particularly kicks against the nominations of Mr. Etekamba Umoren from Akwa Ibom State and Mr. Isah Shaka Ehimeakne from Edo State.
“Mr. Etekamba Umoren is believed to be a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He served as an aide to the current President of the Senate, Dr. Godswill Akpabio, when he was the Governor of Akwa Ibom state. He also served as the Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate when he was the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. Mr. Etekamba Umoren’s deep involvement in partisan politics is a matter of public knowledge as he publicly defected, along with his boss, Dr. Godswill Akpabio, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in 2018.
“Mr. Isah Shaka Ehimeakne of Edo state is believed to be a card-carrying member of the APC, who is engaged in partisan politics both online and offline. Prior to his appointment as a Resident Electoral Commissioner, his Facebook page in his name, Isah Shaka, embarked on campaigns for the APC and its candidates. This depicts his partisanship which disqualifies him from appointment as a Resident Electoral Commissioner that requires neutrality and non-partisanship in line with the constitutional provisions,” TMG observed.
