APC slams Makinde over call for Ondo REC’s redeployment

The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticized Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for requesting the reassignment of Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo.

Makinde made this request during the kickoff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign in Akure on Tuesday, in anticipation of the governorship election scheduled for November 16. He urged INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to transfer Babalola, a sentiment echoed by PDP candidate Agboola Ajayi, who expressed concerns about Babalola’s ties to Ondo State.

In a statement on Wednesday, APC Publicity Secretary Alex Kalejaiye called Makinde’s remarks inappropriate, asserting that Mrs. Babalola has shown “integrity, competence, and capability” since her appointment. The statement, titled “Ondo Not an Appendage of Oyo,” advised Makinde to refrain from interfering in Ondo State’s political matters.

The statement read in part: “The REC has proven her integrity and competence since taking office. It is absurd for Governor Makinde to make such demands when he has no authority over her appointment. Ondo State and its electoral commission are not extensions of his domain, where he rules as an administrator.”

The APC further condemned Makinde’s comments as “uninvited advice” to the people of Ondo, dismissing his caution against vote-buying. “The people of Ondo are politically astute and act according to their convictions, not as cheaply as Governor Makinde implies,” the statement continued.

In response, the PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, defended Makinde, labeling the APC’s reaction as “pedestrian.” He contended that as an influential figure within the PDP, Makinde has every right to voice concerns about the REC’s neutrality.

“The Ondo APC is once again demonstrating its typical lackluster approach in responding to Governor Makinde’s call for a fair electoral process,” Peretei stated.