ABUJA, Nigeria – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has once again called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to take immediate action and redeploy the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sylvia Agu.
In a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, on Monday, the party asserts that Agu should be removed due to allegations of compromising her position to manipulate the upcoming governorship elections in Imo State on November 11, 2023, in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP also encourages Prof. Yakubu to follow the example of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who recently redeployed Commissioners of Police in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states in response to public demands for neutrality in the upcoming governorship election.
The statement reads, “Prof. Yakubu should forestall an impending crisis in the Imo State election by heeding the insistent outcry, petitions, and protests by the people of Imo State, political parties, civil society organizations, as well as Ohaneze Youth Council for the removal of Prof. Sylvia Agu, who has allegedly been compromised by the APC.”
The PDP emphasizes that the people of Imo State are unwilling to accept any electoral process with Prof. Agu as the Resident Electoral Commissioner, given the reported role she played in the manipulation of the 2023 National and House of Assembly elections in Imo State in favor of the APC.
To restore confidence in the electoral process and ensure a credible election while averting a crisis in the state, the PDP believes that “the redeployment of Agu out of Imo State is the only way.”
The party further raises concerns about alleged clandestine meetings between Prof. Agu and certain APC agents, facilitated by her close relative, who holds a position in the APC. These allegations have raised doubts about her impartiality in the forthcoming governorship election in Imo State.
The PDP underscores the importance of maintaining the electorate’s confidence in the electoral process and asserts that Prof. Agu has lost the credibility to serve as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo State. The party strongly believes that her continued stay in office could lead to further unrest and calls for her immediate removal.