A civic group, the Conference of Concerned Nigerian Citizens (CCNC), has expressed concern over the recent transfer of Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Mutiu Agboke, describing the move as potentially undermining electoral neutrality ahead of forthcoming elections.
In a statement written by Comrade Raufu Sodiq (OLUOMO SUCCESS) Spokesperson, CCNC, signed by Comrade TOBEST Secretary CCNC Comrade MUSA AKINKUNMI Chairman, CCNC on Wednesday, the group questioned the timing of the decision, which also reportedly involves the redeployment of technical staff across local government offices in the state.
According to the group, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the constitutional authority to transfer its personnel, such actions must be carried out with transparency and sensitivity to public perception, particularly in the lead-up to elections.
The statement noted that the REC plays a crucial role in coordinating electoral logistics, including the configuration of accreditation systems, training of ad-hoc staff, and management of sensitive materials.
It added that technical staff serve as the institutional backbone of election operations, warning that their sudden redeployment could disrupt ongoing preparation
Read the statement further;
The transfer of the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, to Ondo State, alongside the reported plan to redeploy technical staff across local government offices in Osun State, is an administrative action with significant political consequences.
We acknowledge that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the statutory authority to transfer personnel at any time. However, administrative discretion does not exist in a vacuum. When timing, context, and precedent converge, such discretion inevitably becomes a matter for public scrutiny within a democratic system.
The present transfers are not only questionable in timing; they also raise concerns about institutional neutrality and operational integrity ahead of the forthcoming elections in Osun State.
It is reported that the transfer of Dr. Agboke was triggered by a petition. If this is the case, then due process demands answers to the following questions:
1. Did the Commission constitute a committee to investigate the allegations?
2. If yes, what were the terms of reference, composition, and findings of the committee?
3. If no, on what evidentiary basis was a Resident Electoral Commissioner removed from a state where an election is imminent?
To act on an allegation without proper investigation is to convert petition into policy. It also creates the risk of allowing interested parties to influence the composition of electoral management personnel. That is not administration; it is abdication of responsibility.
Elections are not only required to be free, fair, and credible on polling day, but also in the logistics, planning, and administrative processes that precede it.
The REC serves as the operational anchor for BVAS configuration, polling unit mapping, training of ad-hoc staff, warehousing of sensitive materials, and custody of result sheets. Technical staff, in turn, constitute the institutional memory of electoral operations.
To remove both the operational anchor and institutional memory at such a critical period is to risk destabilizing the electoral process.
Why the urgency in transferring the REC at this time? If the allegations are indeed weighty, suspension pending investigation would preserve both institutional integrity and operational continuity. If they are not, then any administrative action could reasonably have been deferred until after the election to preserve neutrality.
The newly redeployed Resident Electoral Commissioner assigned to Osun State is not without public record. There have been reported allegedly concerns and controversies in past assignments. Whether or not these claims are conclusive, the Commission is expected to exercise heightened caution in appointments that may affect public confidence in electoral neutrality.
If petitions are sufficient grounds for transfers of this magnitude, then consistency demands that the same standard must apply uniformly across all levels of leadership within the Commission.
Section 153(1)(f) of the 1999 Constitution and Paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule establish INEC and empower it to appoint, discipline, and control its staff. While this power is legal, its legitimacy depends on transparent, impartial, and publicly defensible exercise.
The late-hour transfer of the REC and the proposed redeployment of technical officers fail the test of public confidence because they were carried out without published findings, without transparent investigation, and without clear operational necessity.
It further raises concern where the replacement introduces additional questions rather than resolving existing ones.
If a petition without transparent investigation can trigger the transfer of a Resident Electoral Commissioner today, it raises a troubling precedent: Returning Officers could be moved tomorrow, technical staff reshuffled the next day, and Collation Officers replaced on the eve of elections. The cumulative effect is a weakening of electoral stability and predictability.
Ultimately, such a trajectory risks creating an electoral environment in which personnel changes undermine institutional continuity and public confidence.
OUR DEMANDS:
1. Immediate publication of the petition against Dr. Agboke, including the composition, proceedings, and findings of any investigative panel constituted.
2. Suspension of the transfer of Dr. Agboke and the redeployment of Osun technical staff until after the conclusion of the electoral process and resolution of the petition.
3. Full disclosure of the service record, disciplinary history, and any tribunal-related matters involving the newly posted Resident Electoral Commissioner to Osun State.
4. A binding administrative guideline by INEC that no Resident Electoral Commissioner or critical electoral staff shall be transferred within 90 days of an election except after a transparent public inquiry with published findings.
IF OUR DEMANDS ARE NOT MEANT WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE THAN TO USE LAST C OF ALUTA WHICH IS CONFORTATION…….WATCH OUT
In conclusion, INEC does not own elections; it holds them in trust on behalf of the Nigerian people. The timing and manner of the transfer of Dr. Mutiu Agboke, alongside the planned redeployment of technical staff, raise legitimate concerns about institutional neutrality and electoral confidence.
Nigeria’s democracy is a collective responsibility. It must be protected through law, civic vigilance, and accountability, especially when administrative decisions risk undermining public trust in the electoral process.
