By the end of June, about 20 RECs will leave and that will include those who have served their second term, and therefore, would not be eligible for reapportionment.
No fewer than 20 Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission will end their tenure and leave before next year’s general elections.
The INEC REC in Niger State, Prof Sam Egwu, confirmed that his tenure and that of 19 other RECs would elapse between June and August this year.
He stated this in Minna while speaking with journalists after the first stakeholders meeting at the headquarters of the commission in the state.
“By the end of June, about 20 RECs will leave and that will include those who have served their second term, and therefore, would not be eligible for reapportionment. And in August, another set will also leave,” he said.
Egwu, who is among those whose tenure would elapse having served their second term as REC, stressed the need for the timely appointment of new people to ensure that there is no disruption of the electoral process.
He said building institutions was important to addressing political and electoral problems in the country.
Egwu lamented that lack of organisation, internal democracy and abuse of trust among political parties had become the bane of Nigeria’s democracy and electoral processes.
When contacted, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, told Daily Trust that the commission was aware of the development and that some of those affected would leave from June or July this year.