The former Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission boss, Dr Sam Amadi has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission against its intended alliance with the Lagos Parks Management Committee chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo.
INEC had a few hours ago, confirmed that MC Oluomo- led motors in Lagos would distribute voting materials in the coming election across the state.
However, the renowned scholar and Director, Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Amadi opposed the electoral body’s decision on Thursday at a press conference in Abuja
According to Amadi, MC Oluomo who was also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and supporter of Bola Tinubu, the party’s presidential candidate, would endanger the process.
Amadi said:
“INEC needs not to be told that any association with any platform under the control of MC Oluomo is a big risk. Whatever it will take for INEC to maintain credibility must be done. INEC should go the extra mile to ensure that it does not jeopardise the credibility of the elections it is conducting. Any dealing with MC Oluomo’s controlled platform is a complete negation of objectivity and neutrality.
“We want to see INEC take a bold and correct decision in the MC Oluomo and APGA cases. In the case of MC Oluomo, INEC should disengage his road transport union from the distribution of materials in Lagos State because of his obvious and open involvement in the presidential campaigns of Bola Tinubu of the APC. In the case of the APGA leadership tussle, INEC should immediately affirm the decision of the court on the matter.”
Earlier, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Olusegun Agbaje stated that the commission was not concerned about the person MC Oluomo but, about individual drivers and vehicle owners to meet up with the high volume of logistics needed for the elections.
INEC boss said:
“There is a ban on the NURTW and RTEAN, we are only left with the Park Management system and NARTO (National Association of Road Transport Owners) and we are already working with NARTO.
“NARTO is not even able to meet up with 40 per cent of our vehicle requirements for this election. The commission in Lagos State does not have any option than to use park management system.
“We are not dealing with Oluomo, we are dealing with the park managers. Individual people that have vehicles are those we are going to use.
“So, it will be working against the law if INEC has to continue to work with NURTW or any other group that is proscribed in the state.”
He further promised that working with the state parks management committee would not reduce the credibility of the polls as the movement of electoral personnel and materials would be monitored by security agencies, party agents, and observers.
It had said:
“At the CBN (Central Bank Nigeria) where they are going to move our materials, there will be security agencies and party agents including the military to monitor and escort these vehicles from CBN to Local Government Areas (LGAs).
“So, I don’t see how this can compromise the election in any way. Our politicians should see the peculiarity in Lagos State; we cannot work with banned NURTW or RTEAN.
“We need over 5,000 vehicles for this election, including trucks, buses and so on to carry our people and materials for the elections. There is no other way we can go.
“We cannot go to other states and bring vehicles here, it is not allowed by law. The only way we can operate is through the park management system.
“These are the only people that can give us any type of vehicles. In fact, most of the NURTW drivers are working with the park management system.”
