Update: Despite Public Outcry, INEC Insists On Using MC Oluomo To Distribute Materials In Lagos

 

There have been outcries from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), civil societies and groups about the planned INEC’s collaboration with Oluomo-led parks management committee.

 

 Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed its plans to distribute election materials through the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, which is led by Musiliu (MC Oluomo) Akinsanya, a Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, they have been public outcry.

This was stated by INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Olusegun Agbaje, while responding to questions about the MC Oluomo-led committee’s engagement during the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting at the INEC office on Tuesday, in Lagos.

There have been outcries from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), civil societies and groups about the planned INEC’s collaboration with Oluomo-led parks management committee, and clamour for INEC to shelve the plan since Oluomo is partisan and a staunch supporter of the Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the APC.

But Agbaje 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 the 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 against the law if INEC has to continue to work with NURTW or any other group that is proscribed in the state,” the INEC boss added.

The INEC official also stated that working with the state parks management committee would not jeopardise the credibility of the elections because the movement of electoral personnel and materials would be monitored by security agencies, party agents, and observers.

He continued, “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,” he stated.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported how the Lagos State Parks Management Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo wrote to the electoral body, to allow its members to distribute sensitive electoral materials and transport election officials on Election Day.

Reacting to this, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, had also cautioned INEC, against using the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, LPMC, led by Musiliu Akinsanya, to distribute sensitive electoral materials and transport election officials to avoid manipulation and malpractices during the poll.