My relationship with Wike won’t affect Edo election- REC

Anugbum Onuoha, resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Edo State, has said that his relationship with Nyesom Wike,  minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will not affect Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state.

Speaking on Channels TV on Friday, Onuoha said such relationship should not stop him from serving as an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

There are palpable fears that Onuoha, who is Wike’s cousin, will influence Saturday’s governorship election for the All Progressives Congress (APC). This stems from the frosty relationship between Wike and Godwin Obaseki, incumbent Edo State governor. Wike is also working for an APC federal government despite being a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP has called for his deployment to ensure that he does not influence the guber election.

Onuoha, however, dismissed the fears, saying that the relationship between the two can’t influence the election.

“Yes, it is a fact that I am a cousin to the minister. On my appointment, I was invited by the Senate. I was screened by the Senate, who confirmed me. I was sworn in by my chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. I was posted to Edo last year. Nobody complained that I was a cousin to the minister. Of course, I’m a cousin to the minister,” he said.

“What we should be talking about at this time is capacity. Do you have the capacity to conduct the election? Are you competent enough?“From my background, I am an associate professor of law. People should ask, ‘can he do this job? Has he done a similar thing before?’ Yes, I was an electoral commissioner in Rivers State’s RSIEC, nobody complained.”

Onuoha further said the  fact that he is a cousin to Wike does not stop him from being appointed.

“Am I not a Nigerian? What Nigerians should be after is the person’s competence and whether he has what it takes to handle the job. Those are the issues they should ask.”