The umbrella body of Ondo State indigenes that are resident in Canada, under the aegis of Concerned Ondo Indigenes in Diaspora (COIID), Canada chapter; today, Wednesday, November 6, 2024, throws their support behind the state’s INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner.
This stance is ahead of the November 16, 2024 gubernatorial election in the Sunshine State. We have noted with deep concern the relentless demands for the redeployment of Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola. It should be acknowledged that it is not out of place for any individual or group of persons to make demands for the redeployment of an INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner that they do not feel too comfortable with. However, this type of call is expected to have been borne out of infallible grounds.
Thus far, the only flimsy reason advanced by those demanding the redeployment of the serving Ondo REC is tied to the claim that she was born in the old Ondo State. Lately, those pushing for the redeployment of Mrs. Babalola have also alleged that she has close ties with the leadership of APC in Ondo State; and that her decisions while in office as INEC Director of Legal Services leaned towards political interests.
Truthfully, being born in a particular place is not the same as having serious ties in such a place. Also, merely growing up, schooling, or working in a place without having serious ties in such a place should not be enough reason to preclude any INEC REC from serving in a particular state. This is an issue that definitely deserves to be handled with utter carefulness, tact, and firmness by the leadership of INEC.
While anyone could make allegations, however, the law places the burden of proving the same allegation on whomever that alleges. It would have been much appreciated if the African Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Good Governance and Accountability (ACCSGGGAA) that recently raised these allegations had gone ahead to supply irrefutable evidence. It is nonetheless disappointing that the same ACCSGGGAA that accused the Ondo REC, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, had equally demanded of INEC to investigate the REC and make the findings public. What this simply suggests is that these allegations may have been made for the mere purpose of calling a dog a bad name with the ultimate intention to hang it.
To set the record straight, this entity is only interested in ensuring that the electoral wishes of the people of Ondo State are allowed to prevail come Saturday, November 16, 2024. This body, as a stakeholder in the gubernatorial election, is very much interested in and advocating for a very free, fair, and credible conduct of the Ondo State governorship election. This body also finds it very curious that the demand for the redeployment of Ondo REC with less than 10 days to the November 16, 2024 gubernatorial election could substantially detail the plans and preparations made so far by the electoral umpire. More so, it is also perceived by this group that any attempt to remove Ondo REC at this critical time of electoral climax could become a bad precedent on the part of the electoral umpire.
While the entity is not disposed to the redeployment of the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, it is, however, in support of the deployment of an Independent Electoral Commissioner to the Sunshine State. But doing the needful by INEC should not include the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner with less than 10 days to the governorship election.
Instead of the needless dissipation of energy on demanding the redeployment of the serving Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate are encouraged to focus on their campaign, strategic planning, and undertaking the necessary mobilization of party members ahead of the November 16, 2024 election.
It is nonetheless disturbing that the seeming focus of the PDP on pushing for the redeployment of Ondo REC appears like an excuse being packaged by the umbrella party to justify its performance in the November 16, 2024 gubernatorial election. The opposition party is advised not to give a distressing impression of an inevitable poor performance in the forthcoming election. This posture of hopelessness could go a long way to weaken and discourage their supporters, even before the day of the election. This group, therefore, enjoins the good people of Ondo State to go out in their large numbers and vote for candidates of their choices. We also implore our people to vote peacefully, monitor their votes, and shun violence on the day of the election. All the good people of Ondo State are firmly advised that no election is worth the blood of any indigene of the Sunshine State.
Signed:
Engr. Timothy Olaoluwa.
Coordinator.