Moses Ofodeme
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sworn-in six Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) thus filling all vacancies in the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Chairman of the Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, during the occasion, congratulated the new RECs and informed them that the conduct of elections is not only a huge responsibility but also a sacred duty.
“As RECs, you are the representatives of the Commission in the various States to which you will be deployed shortly. The work of the Commission is, to say the least, very challenging. “ he reminded them.
He charged them, “As you assume or resume duty, I urge you to focus on your responsibilities. Let me make it clear from the outset that you must at all times be guided by the electoral legal framework, the code of conduct for RECs as well as the regulations and guidelines governing the Commission’s operations. Above all, you must always act in good conscience. Do not betray your oath of office. In the best tradition of the Commission, you must engage with stakeholders through regular consultative meetings and must not be impervious to genuine criticisms.”
“In the various States to which you will be deployed shortly, you will be in charge of personnel and resources. Manage your personnel and the extremely limited resources at your disposal very well. Your appointment is a full-time and not part-time responsibility. You must provide leadership and exercise effective supervision. You can only succeed in this responsibility when you are knowledgeable about the Commission’s activities, particularly the innovations introduced in election management.”
The Chairman, further told them that it is also important for them to understand and operate within the limits of their delegated powers and responsibilities, adding, “Our State offices are part and parcel of the Commission. You must never act independently or think that you can act in violation of the law, regulations and guidelines or defy the Commission without consequences. We will hold you accountable for your actions and inactions. We will not hesitate to deal with acts of defiance, indiscretion or transgression on the part of any Resident Electoral Commissioner.”
He said further, “In line with the current policy, you will be deployed within your geo-political zones but none of you will serve in his/her State of origin. Accordingly, it is my pleasure to announce your deployment as follows:
“The above deployment requires a consequential redeployment of some of the serving RECs from their current locations to other States in line with the extant policy. For the serving RECs, this has been handled administratively. However, the full list will be uploaded to the Commission’s website and social media platforms for public information shortly. I must add that the deployment of RECs is a routine exercise. While the Commission tries to maintain stability of the process, RECs can be redeployed again as the need arises.”