The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has said the newly appointed Resident Electoral Commission (REC) from Akwa-Ibom State, Etekamba Umoren, will not be sworn-in until the tenure of the current REC from the State, Monday Udo-Tom, expires in January.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, and the spokesperson to the INEC Chairperson, Rotimi Oyekanmi, disclosed this to newsmen in separate responses Friday and yesterday.
Olumekun corroborated Oyekanmi, when he said: “The new REC can only assume duties after the expiration of the tenure of the current REC whose term expires later”.
Earlier on Friday, Oyekanmi said it would be unusual for two RECs from the same state of origin to serve at the same time. He then sent a further clarification that the tenure of the newly appointed REC from Akwa Ibom would only take effect after the tenure of the current one ends in January next year.
Oyekanmi added that the current appointment of RECs ahead of the expiration of the other’s tenure could be a good precedent.
Recall that two years ago, the 9th Senate Committee on INEC stepped-down the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as INEC National Commissioner from Delta State, on the grounds that there was no vacancy for the role as of the time of her nomination.
