De recent days, de issue of de Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ondo State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, don dey cause plenty tension. De Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State don insist say Babalola no fit be fair and unbiased umpire for de forthcoming governorship election in de state.
De PDP make dis call based on allegations that Babalola be indigene of Ondo State, even though she no be from dere by birth. According to dem, Babalola grow up in Ondo State, attend school dere, and her parents still dey live dere. Dem say dis make am impossible for her to be neutral in de election.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, also join de call for Babalola’s redeployment during de launch of PDP’s campaign. He say, “We will protest until she is removed. Ondo REC must be redeployed. She was born here. Her parents live here. She can never be fair in dis election. We don’t want her in Ondo State. Babalola must leave. What dem do in Edo will not succeed in Ondo. We will protest until she is removed. Bring another REC that will be fair; that will allow a level playing field. We, as PDP, aren’t afraid of any contest. Remove her, or else we will continue to protest”.
However, INEC no agree with dis request. Dem say since de calls no be backed by any credible evidence of unethical or criminal acts against Babalola, she will not be redeployed. INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, stress say INEC deploy and redeploy RECs based on established policy, not on calls by political parties or partisan individuals, unless there’s credible evidence of unethical or criminal conduct.
INEC also claim say Babalola no be from Ondo State, in line with deir policy not to deploy a REC to his or her state of origin. But PDP argue say even if she no be from Ondo by birth, her long-term residence and family ties in de state make her unfit to supervise de election.
