PDP Rejects INEC Appointment Of Wike’s Cousin As Edo REC, Associate Police Commissioner

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the appointment of Mr Anugbum Onuoha, a cousin to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, as the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

Apart from being a cousin according to the PDP, Onuoha served as Special Adviser on Lands to Wike while he was Governor of Rivers State.

The PDP also rejected the appointment of the Edo Commissioner of Police, CP Nemi Edwin-Iwo, whom the party said is a staunch associate of Wike. He was redeployed to the state a month ago.

Raising the alarm in a statement on Tuesday in the state, the Chairman of the PDP in Edo State, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, said the party is raising dust over the involvement of Wike’s associates in the election because of the well-documented disagreement between the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the FCT Minister, Wike.

He said the PDP sees the involvement of the officials as a recipe for disaster as they share close links with the Minister and are willing to do his bidding before, during, and after the elections.

Aziegbemi said, “We are worried that the election may have been compromised even before it starts. This is because we are certain that the officials responsible for conducting a free, fair, and credible election are close associates of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

“The INEC REC in Edo is Wike’s cousin and served as a Special Adviser on Lands to him in Rivers State. Everyone in Nigeria knows the antecedents of Wike and his conduct during elections in Rivers State.

“So, we will not close our eyes and watch him deploy the same tactic in Edo State.

“The current Edo State Commissioner of Police, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, is also a close associate of Wike. We believe he would not act in the best interest of the Edo people nor even in the spirit and letters of the electoral act.

“So, it is no wonder that the Police have been acting arbitrarily in the run-up to the election.

“They have been after members and leaders of the PDP in the last few weeks, as a rogue team has been hounding, arresting and whisking PDP leaders away to Abuja in a Gestapo style.

“So, for us, the precedent has been set and we will not sit and watch these men cause chaos in the State in pursuit of personal vendetta.”