PDP argued that Ondo REC, Babalola cannot handle a free and fair election based on her ties to the state she is overseeing
By Kehinde Okeowo
Southwest chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have clarified allegation that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in-charge of Ondo State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola hails from the same state she is overseeing.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier debunked the claim while reacting to demand for the redeployment of the Ondo REC by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
The governor, who is also a PDP member, urged the chairman of INEC, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, to immediately remove the REC since she hails from Ondo State.
Makinde said, “This message is for the INEC national chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood; you must remove the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola; she is from Ondo State. What they did in Edo State, they cannot do in Ondo State.
“We will protest until she is removed. Bring another REC that will be fair and that will allow a level playing field. We, as PDP, are not afraid of a fair contest. Remove her; otherwise, we will continue to protest.”
INEC, while reacting to Makinde’s allegation on Tuesday in a post shared on its X account, maintained that the REC is not from Ondo State.
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Addressing the development, INEC tweeted: “For the avoidance of doubt, Mrs. Babalola is not from Ondo State, in line with the Commission’s policy not to deploy a REC to his or her
state of origin.”
However, a statement issued on Wednesday by the Southwest PDP inadvertently clarified why the allegation against the Ondo REC was made.
While backing Governor Makinde’s call for her removal in a statement signed by Sanya Atofarati, the party claimed that “Mrs. Babalola was born in the Igbara Odo area; now Igbara Odo is in Ekiti South West of Old Ondo State.”
It further added, “After the creation of Ekiti State in 1996, that area was now demarcated into Ekiti State. However, throughout her life, she grew up in Ondo State.
“So let no one fool us; either she claims Ekiti State now or not; she was born, bred, and grew up in Ondo State.
“It will be honourable for the INEC chairman to at least be honourable for once and do the right thing.
“The main question is: Must it be Mrs. Babalola? In a country of over 200 million talented individuals, why is INEC finding it difficult to replace her?”