DUE TO THE APPOINTMENT OF APC LOYALISTS AS INEC COMMISSIONERS, SERAP HAS TAKEN TINUBU TO COURT.

Babatunji Wusu –

The government of President Bola Tinubu is being sued by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) for designating members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with voter identification cards as Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

As reported by Naija News, the Nigerian Senate approved the appointment of seven RECs on Wednesday in spite of payments from opposition parties claiming that some of the nominees were unfit to serve because of their ties to the ruling party.

The rights organization announced the development by writing, “We’re suing the Tinubu administration and Nigeria’s Senate over the appointment and confirmation of at least three card-carrying members and loyalists of the ruling APC as Resident Electoral Commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).” The statement was posted on the organization’s official X handle.

The action by SERAP comes only hours after Tinubu was sued by the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for designating an APC member with a card as the REC in charge of Akwa Ibom State.

Aniekan Akpan, the PDP chairman in Akwa Ibom state, filed a lawsuit against Etekamba Umoren’s nomination as the commission’s representative executive in the state.

The Senate’s decision to approve the nomination of three members of the ruling party as RECs has drawn criticism from stakeholders.

Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, protested the selection, claiming certain RECs had political ties to the ruling party.

According to him, there are video recordings showing some of the newly confirmed appointees attending APC political events.