Babalola: Unending controversy over INEC’s electoral commissioner

In this report, Peter Dada writes on the forthcoming Ondo governorship election, highlighting the controversy that has trailed INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for the poll

On Saturday, over two million registered voters would go to the polling centres to cast their votes for the governorship candidates of their choice, to decide who will steer the ship of the state for the next four years, after the expiration of the current administration.

Already the Independent National Electoral Commission has cleared 17 political parties and their candidates to participate in the off-cycle election.

The parties cleared for the election by INEC include the ruling All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Accord Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, African Democratic Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance.

Others are Allied Peoples Movement, Action Peoples Party, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, National Rescue Movement, Peoples Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party, Youth Party, Young Progressives Party and the Zenith Labour Party.

In the last few months the parties, particularly the ruling APC, PDP, NNPP, ADC, SDP, LP and ZLP had embarked on rigorous campaigns to sell their candidates to the people in the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

The state has been bubbling with radio and television campaign jingles and open campaign rallies among others. In a nutshell, the political atmosphere is currently permeating the entire Sunshine State.

Other stakeholders, like the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, Civil Society Organisations, the media and others have expressed their readiness for the forthcoming Saturday poll, promising free, fair and credible election.

However, the political parties seem not to be on the same page on the position of INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, to conduct the election. Specifically, the PDP, the major opposition party in the state, has been clamouring for the redeployment of Babalola before the poll following their lack of trust in the  REC, whom they accused of being an indigene of the state and for that reason would not be a fair umpire.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde fired the first shot while in Akure for the take-off of the PDP governorship campaign. Makinde charged INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to redeploy Babalola, saying the opposition had lost confidence in the state INEC leadership under her.

He alleged that Babalola had been hobnobbing with the leadership of the ruling APC, adding that apart from being a native of Ondo State, the embattled REC had been having several meetings with some leaders of the APC in the state. This, according to him, may affect the fairness in the conduct of the poll.

Ever since, INEC had received several letters from individuals and groups insisting on the removal of the REC, saying that was the only way the election could be credible.

In the same vein, the PDP candidate, Agboola Ajayi, made his position known during a recent interview, that the REC would be biased since she was born and bred in Ondo State, resided in Ondo, with her parents still living in Akure.

“The only worry I have for this election is the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the state, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola. Our party has raised an allegation against her. One organisation alerted us  that Babalola had been having series of meetings  with  the APC  government, especially  the governor and the party chairman and we found out that it was true,” Ajayi said.

“If they (INEC) want to be honest, they know what we are saying, that it is true. So, we felt that this woman is partisan. So, she can never be fair.  We know that she was even born and brought up here; she is an Ondo State indigene. I don’t know how else they want us to prove that.

“Toyin Babalola was born in Ondo State, when Ondo and Ekiti were together. In her birth certificate today, it’s Ondo State, Igbara Odo, which is a boundary between Ondo and Ekiti. Since Toyin was born, she never spent a night at Igbara Odo. She has lived all her life in Akure here, her parents live in Akure here. Toyin resides in Akure until she was appointed.”

In response to calls by the PDP for the redeployment of Babalola, INEC insisted she would conduct Saturday’s poll.

“Neutrality in the political arena is not new to Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola,” Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, stated.

“She was deployed to Ondo State almost a year ago and nobody has ever accused her of hobnobbing with any political party. So, why are these allegations suddenly coming at this time that we have an off-season governorship election to conduct?”

He added that the commission had found no substantiated evidence to support the claims against her, dismissing them as unfounded.

“To make it worse, all the allegations levelled against her so far have not been substantiated. Not one proof. She will not be redeployed. She will conduct the election.

“During her screening at the National Assembly, nobody raised any allegation that she was a card-carrying member or sympathiser of any political party,” the CPS remarked.

Addressing the PDP’s broader accusations that Babalola may be biased in favour of the APC, Oyekanmi called on the party to present credible evidence.

“The onus is on the PDP to provide compelling proof. So far, they haven’t provided any,” he said.

He refuted claims that Babalola was an indigene of Ondo State or that she had longstanding political affiliations, pointing out that she graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University over 34 years ago, long before the current political parties existed.

Also, Babalola assured the electorate and stakeholders of transparency in the election.

She gave the assurance during the inspection of sensitive materials by major stakeholders at the Central Bank of Nigeria on Wednesday in Akure.

The REC, who said the sensitive materials would be distributed on Thursday (today), explained that showing the stakeholders the materials showed that the commission was committed to delivering a free, fair and credible election.

“The reason we invited critical stakeholders such as security officers, political parties, observers, media, among others, to this inspection is to show transparency.

“You can see that they are well wrapped, nobody has tampered with them.

“When we come tomorrow (today) for distribution, we will open them one Local Government at a time and give them to the electoral officers.

“We will start with the furthest LG so that they can get there on time. When they get to the LG, distribution to registration areas and polling units will start,” she said.

Captivatingly, a political school of thought believes that the PDP’s call was a mere expression of the fear of defeat before the poll.

Many of the other parties differ with the PDP, believing that what matters most is the proper conduct of the election by the electoral body and not the change of the resident commissioner.

The chairman of the state’s Young Peoples Party, Dotun Ojon, said the REC did not committed any offence to warrant the call for her redeployment from the state.

“The position of our political party is that the REC is not the issue. We are concentrating on winning our election. For us  as a political party, there is no reason to call for her removal,” Ojon stated.

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Myson Nejo, added, “The removal of the REC is not even the problem. This issue isn’t about the REC’s removal. I’m not interested in removing the REC. I believe the REC should stay.

“What we’re saying is that the election should be fair and credible. Removing the REC won’t ensure that. All we want is a fair and credible election. What if they bring in a new REC who wants to compromise, what difference will it make?

“Our main point is that INEC, as an institution, it should demonstrate to the world that it operates independently and does what is right. If the election is fair and free from bias, no one will go to court or waste time on legal battles. If INEC can show the election is truly free and fair, opponents will congratulate the winner without any question.”

The ZLP candidate, Dr Abbas Mimiko, said Babalola had shown due diligence and commitment to her job, and thus needed not be replaced.

“We in the ZLP are not calling for her redeployment, as we have full confidence in her impartiality and the integrity of her work. I am confident that INEC will deliver as expected. We believe they are fully prepared to ensure a transparent, credible election that will truly reflect the will of the people. I urge all stakeholders to have faith in INEC’s commitment to upholding democratic principles,” Mimiko stated.

As it is now, INEC, despite the outcry, continues its preparation for the election, but expectations are high on what its final verdict would be on the PDP’s request.

Keen followers of the unfolding political intrigues already have their fingers crossed before, during and after Saturday’s poll in the Sunshine State.