ACTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has kicked against the appointment of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri FUTO, Professor Cyril Onwuliri, as the collating and returning officer for the presidential and governorship  elections in Imo State.

Professor Onwuliri is the husband of Professor Viola Onwuliri, incumbent Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s running mate in the April 26 governorship elections in Imo State.

Incidentally, Ohakim’s running mate also teaches in the same school and her husband is billed to retire in June just two months after the elections.

The party, which had earlier complained about the appointment of several FUTO lecturers as returning officers, had expressed fears  that if the situation was left unchecked, it could lead to violence and chaos in the state, since the VC had vowed to return the incumbent governor and allow for litigations since his retirement was just by the corner.

Letter of appointment

In the letter of appointment, INEC.CHROEVOL.1, signed by Jega, the INEC chairman claimed that “those appointed are very senior high level personnel in the public service who have proven themselves to be persons of high integrity, imbued with a strong sense of public responsibility.”

Jega, therefore, directed the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Rose Oko, that “you are, therefore, requested to accord these officials the needed assistance and cooperation to enable them discharge their duties efficiently and as expected.”

He confirmed that “for your state, the person appointed is Professor Celestine O.E. Onwuliri, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (contact details withheld).Please contact him and offer him all the necessary support and assistance.”

ACN is, however, worried that there was no way the state REC could be an unbiased umpire, having accepted accommodation by the state government where she is quartered among serving commissioners in the state. It also accused Jega of withholding her accommodation allowance.

The state REC also claimed that the INEC chairman failed to pay their housing allowance while he returned over N2.5 billion to the federal treasury.

Governorship candidate of the party in Imo State, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, while reacting to the information yesterday, explained that having complained about the character of the REC and her utterances since she resumed in Owerri, Jega should have thrown her away to ensure transparency.

He said: “ I am not surprised that such sensitive information has been hidden from the electorate and INEC top brass by Mrs. Oko. There is no way transparency could be ensured if the PDP running mate was until her selection a lecturer of FUTO and the husband still in service and the lecturers from the school appointed as Returning Officers.

They are already boasting and Jega should do the right thing immediately”

Araraume who was speaking from his Country home in Mbano said the INEC chairman should not allow Nigerians to further suffer by ensuring that Imo state is saved from the trouble of shoddy and biased conduct of the April Elections

Chairman of the party in the state,  Honourable Charles Uba accused the PDP led government of  circulating fake ballot papers since last Monday.

Uba said INEC should not allow the mockery of last Saturday to repeat itself and ensure that the Result Sheets accompany all the required materials to the polling Centres to avoid the diversion of materials and delay in some of the boots as witnessed last Saturday.

What a country we are in? Jega is saying nuffin!

Jesus wept!! is this a joke?

What in God's name is wrong with this country? How the hell do they expect Ohakim to lose at the polls? Is Onwuliri the only person worthy of that post? Good Lord!

can someone help rescue the destiny of Imo elections from the hand of these political marauders?

How can you ask the husband of a woman running in an election be the returning officer?

Is this another version of JEGA's transparency?

BTW, RECs are appointed by Goodluck and not by JEGA
Did I hear someone says rigging?

So much for unFREE, unFAIR and inCREDIBLE election.
And some FOOLS still feels GOODLUCK will eschew curruption when in office. Dream on!

IF, you don't know why BON/NEDG Debate was boycotted, now you know

PDP! Power!

RIgging! Rigging!!

GEJ appoints the RECs, so, little wonders
- A REC in SE sleeps over in a PDP candidate's house
- A REC in Kaduna went to visit Sambo, a PDP leader at home on the eve of election
- A REC in Imo is the husband of the PDP Guber candidate's deputy

These are Jo boy interpretation of free, fair & credible election. Rigging

Election Update - VC FUTO removed as INEC returning officer with immediate effect - Imo REC

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