•INEC chairman, Joash Amupitan
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called for an investigation into reports that senior officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, received land and cash gifts from a powerful minister in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu, warning that the allegations could erode public trust in the electoral system.
The party said the reports, which surfaced last week and were still gaining traction, raised serious questions about the independence of the electoral body at a sensitive political moment, one that could shape confidence in future elections, reports Vanguard.
In a statement by its factional National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party expressed concern and urged INEC to address what it described as troubling claims with full transparency.
According to the statement, “The media space was, last week, awash with reports alleging that the minister offered land and cash gifts to senior staff of the commission.
“This news is very disturbing and worrisome and seems to connect the dots in the land-for-favour scenario currently being widely speculated as the strategy for institutional capture of the minister.”
It also questioned why the alleged benefits appeared to be directed at election officials, while workers in other essential sectors, such as healthcare, education and security, have not received similar considerations, despite the demands of their roles in the country..
“We have not heard of any land allocation to these people, obviously because they are not directly related to the election process.
“We, hereby, demand that the national chairman of INEC comes clean on these allegations against his top officials, and even himself, as he has also been alleged to be a beneficiary,” the party added.
The PDP warned that leaving the matter unresolved could further weaken confidence in the commission and urged swift action to reassure the public.
“The Commission must remember at all times that it must strive to be, like Caesar’s wife, above board, and ensure that transparency and impartiality are not just watchwords but are obvious in both its words and actions,” it said.
