PDP takes legal action against Tinubu over APC nominee for A'Ibom REC

The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has initiated legal action against President Bola Tinubu.

They allege that he appointed a member of his All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in their state.

The lawsuit was jointly filed by the Chairman, Aniekan Akpan, and the Secretary, Harrison Ekpo, of the state’s PDP.

They are disputing the selection of Etekamba Umoren as the REC for Akwa Ibom State.

The Senate had recently confirmed seven out of ten RECs, including Umoren, who was nominated by the President.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/146/2023, was presented before the Federal High Court in Abuja, with the plaintiffs naming Tinubu, the Senate, and Umoren as defendants.

As part of their claim, the plaintiffs attached coloured photographs of Umoren wearing APC attire during campaign events and clips of him campaigning for the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio in APC clothing.

The opposition party leaders are requesting the court to rule that President Tinubu cannot nominate Umoren for confirmation as the REC for Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

They are seeking a court declaration that “the appointment of the 3rd defendant as REC for Akwa Ibom State is unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional, null and void ab initio and of no effect whatsoever.”

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The plaintiffs seek a permanent injunction from the court “restraining the Senate from allowing, permitting and/or confirming Umoren as a REC and a further injunction restraining Umoren from acting, assuming the office and/or parading himself as a REC for Akwa Ibom State.”

As of now, no specific date has been scheduled for the hearing of the case.

In the meantime, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, held a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, expressing the opposition party’s disapproval of Umoren’s appointment as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State. Ologunagba alleged that this appointment was part of a strategy by the ruling party to manipulate future elections and maintain its hold on power.

The PDP spokesperson emphasised, “We are particularly concerned about the audacious placement of Mr. Etekamba Umoren, a card-carrying member and prominent leader of the APC in Akwa Ibom State, as the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, despite the strong objections and widespread rejection by Nigerians, especially our party, the PDP, and the residents of Akwa Ibom State.

“The PDP, therefore, in clear and unequivocal terms rejects the imposition of Etekamba Umoren as INEC REC for Akwa Ibom State being conceived in iniquity and in flagrant violation of the express provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022 and the universal demand of impartiality and non-partisanship of an electoral body and its officials.”

Ologunagba characterized Umoren’s nomination as a severe blow to INEC’s reputation as a democratic institution and the integrity of the electoral process.

He disclosed that the PDP is well aware of the purported mission assigned to Umoren by the APC leadership, which involves using his position as the REC to potentially compromise crucial procedures, materials, and systems, including voter registration, Voter Card distribution, manipulation of the Voter Register, electoral constituency delineation, and influencing INEC personnel.

The PDP spokesperson strongly sees the appointment of Umoren’s as a provocative and disturbing violation of the independence, integrity, and trustworthiness of the electoral system.

“Etekamba Umoren must therefore abstain from the INEC office in Akwa Ibom State. President Bola Tinubu should promptly initiate the process of appointing an impartial Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State to prevent potential conflicts and electoral illegitimacy in future state elections,” he said.