Editor-in-Chief of SOJ WORLDWIDE ONLINE NEWS, Adesoji Omosebi had an exclusive brief interview with the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Mutiu Olaleke AGBOKE.
The interview was centered on the forthcoming 2023 general elections due to start with the Presidential Election on February 25, 2023.
Read the explosive Interview:
Q: Could you please tell us briefly about yourself?
A: I was born in Abeokuta in Ogun State, I went to Imo Methodisr Primary School, African Church Grammar School, Ita-Iyalode, Abeokuta, Ogun. Then, I went to Bayero University, Kano for a Diploma in Sharia and Common Law, then to University of Ilorin for my LLB, then to the Law School and Obafemi Awolowo University, then I went for my PhD. I have been on practice as a Lawyer before my appointment by INEC.
Q: When did you start with INEC?
A: 2017.
Q: Then, you have risen to become the REC.
A: I was appointed as a the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), it is not a career job, I was appointed. My appointment was as a REC, I am not a career officer.
Q: And this is your Second Term?
A: Yes this is my Second Term.
Q: Sir, what are the challenges confronting your Commission in the buildup to the 2023 elections?
A: Security! Security!! Security!!! If there is insecurity pervading everywhere, election will be difficult to control that is number one. Secondly, the inability of the stakeholders to play the games according to the rules, some of them INEC will design the rules, they will flout it. It is not the best.
Go and look at the preelection matters, they are all cases arising from congresses. Why should that be? Those are the problems we have, stakeholders, political parties, they are not still working in line, its not the best particularly in the states, they are not still following INEC regulations.
For us, now we have Electoral Acts, we hsve guidelines, regulations, these two combined, they are enough to give us directions of what to do or what not to do.
Q: What are you going to do to contain the excesses of these politicians?
A: There is nothing we are going to do than to engage them, for example, in the area of political parties, look at Osun State, recently we got various petitions that they have already start to removing posters, bill boards trying to pull them down. It is for us to think out of the box. The INEC in Osun and the State Command of the Nigerian Police will continue to engage and dialogue with them. These are some of the things we are trying to do. Doing that, we think that they would be able to listen because election can only hold in the atnosphere of peace.
READ ALSO: https://voiceairmedia.com/2023/01/11/pvcs-collection-osun-rec-agboke-pays-visit-to-inec-centres-warns-staff-against-flouting-electoral-laws/
Q: You recently embarked on tour of the INEC at the Ward levels, what are the levels of your success?
A: We toured the Local Government Areas to know the state of our materials and the state of our facilities. Some of them that needed to be retained we retain them, some of them thst needed our touch, we are touching them, by the end of the month everything will be fully ready.
Q: Challenges confronting your commission in Osun?
A. Lack of collection of PVC, Over 400,000 are still not collected, to be precise, we have 401,326 uncollected PVC as at today (12/01/2023). We hope gradually it will reduce, people will be able to collect them because people should know tbat without the PVC they cannot vote in this coming election. And that is the very important thing. No matter who you are, without PVC you cannot vote and that is what INEC has done.
.Q: Don’t you think people are having the sense of apathy that is why people are not encouraged to collect their PVC?
A: I don’t think so. most of them are very ready and interested, this time around in collecting the cards but our attitude is let us wait, there is still time but we need to tell them that the earlier the better to colkect the card.
Q: Do you think the security situations in the country can mar the elections or what do you foresee could happen if the attacks on your facilities continue?
A: If there is insecurity, there cant be anything progressing and that is why the Chairman said if the attacks continue like this, it will have effect on the election, not that is planning to cancel the election or postpone. No, it was an objective and honest alarm. And I think those whom the message was mesnt for have been able to get it.
But for us we are ready. Nothng can stop us barring all these unforseeable circumstance.
Q: What advise do you have for the politicians especially in Osun where we have witnessed several attacks and destroying of billboards of political parties.
A: My advice for them is tbat election has gone beyond using violence tk score cheap point. Cheap points can only be scored at the polls. Cheap point can only be scored by using your power to canvass votes from the masses to be abke to vote for you. And how do you use that power? Sell your ideas to them, make yourself acceptable to them in their minds, then, they will be endeared to you.
The era of forcing people to do your wish, the era has gone. If you use violence you get zero whereever violence is perpetrated, my advise is that, let them follow the regulations, let them follow the rules.
Q: Have you ever been induced or tempted with a bribe in your experience as a REC?
A: As a REC efforts were made in the buildup to 2019 general elections in Oyo. I told them nobody should look for me, I dont need assistance from anybody, there is no assistance I can do for anybody.
Q: Can you tell us your experience?
A: No, no, that experience has gone, I dont want to open it. It was a very bad experience.
Q: And you didnt fall for it?
A: I didnt collect any bribe from anybody.
Q: Sir, I can see that you are so blunt when speaking to the Press as a REC, are you a Comrade or an Activist?
A. I am product of student unionism when I wss in school, outside school, I was a Labour Rights Activist. I was a member of Cimmitte of Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).
Q: So that is part of what us making you to…(cuts in).
A. Not necessarily, you see, doing the right thing requires you to put more energy. People are used to doing wrong things and when you say you are not doing wrong things they will tag you.
Q. I was at your prayer session, you addressed your staff that you are going round to sensitize them that on that very day if anyone should flout the electoral law that you get them detained?
A. No. not detain o, we are going to shame them ni o, we would call the cameramen, shame them, the prosecute them because we have told them we have warned them. In Yourubaland they say, “whoever say what can you do? Then you do it tl that person.”
Q: What else do you have to say about the coming elections about manipulations of the political class?
A: The political class has no manipulation tban to use money to induce people and I have advised and counsel the people that “dont be induced or collect money from anybody.” By using money to induce you showed that you are so important. If you are not important why are they bringing money? Why do they want to buy your PVC, why dont they allow you express your PVC, now tbey know that you are very important.
My advice is that let them go there and do their thing, vote and dont collect money and you will be satisfied that you have voted somebody of your choice.
Q: On a lighter mood sir, why is it that INEC is always the ‘whipping boys’ of the political class, if you look this way, they you are supporting this one if you look the other way they say you are supporting the other one?
A. You know to be a referee is a big problem. There is one referee in the English Premiership, Haward Wend or something, he is a retired referee now, anytime he was at the centre of any match between Man U and Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal, they always tag him Man U fan.
For me, this our job, I have not seen the job that is as dekicate as it is. For you that you have found yourself there, you are not to be celebrated until you deliver the process. I will here sitting down, a lot of adhoc staff working in various remote areas, I went to Ipetu-Ijesa, very far. If somebody is working there on election day, would I know what is happening there? So, they must also do the right thing . Anyone that believes because he is in remote area, you want to do the wrong thing, we would show him the way to be dealt with.
You must do the right thing and tbat is what we are. So being a referee is a problem and its like being a Judge, if you insist on doing the right thing they will say you are favouring a particular party. Nobody can say he has any deal with me. Never!
Q: What do you to say about the BVAS because some people are contesting it concerning the case at the Election Petition Tribunal.
A. First of all, the position of the Commision is that BVAS has come to stay. Nothing can remove it. BVAS is to secure the sanctity of the results and to ensure there is no manipulation in the accreditation.
We will use it by Section 47, Subsection 2, anybody that aproaches the Presiding Officer through the BVAS for accreditation. BVAS has no problem, the battery on it can serve more than 24 hours. What is the fear? Is it the fear of certainty or originality of the results? Then whoever thinks of that is the act of fraudulent activity. Whoever is a product of right thing would give credence to BVAS as even credibility to the process.
Q: How ready is INEC for this forthcoming elections.
A: In Osun State we are 90% ready.
Q: The remaining 10% is for non collection of PVCs?
A: PVC, few non sensitive materials, movements of materials from one location to the others. Thats all.
If they say election is tomorrow in Osun State, we would conduct the election
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