A prominent Nigerian journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu has appointed a member of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) under the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The president announced the appointment of ten new RECs this week, among whom is Etekamba Umoren, a former Secretary to the State Government of Akwa Ibom State and an ally of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Soyombo, who is the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, said in a statement that the president has started positioning his people in INEC to manipulate the 2027 elections.
He claimed that Umoren is an APC member who was involved in withdrawing N22 billion from the Akwa Ibom State government’s account and diverting it to personal use and unjustifiable expenditures.
He also said that Umoren helped the APC win votes in Akwa Ibom State, where he held various positions in the government house, such as Permanent Secretary, Chief of Staff, and Secretary to the State Government.
Soyombo said that appointing Umoren as INEC’s REC in Akwa Ibom for an initial five years is not accidental but a deliberate attempt to compromise the electoral process in the state.
He added that the Senate that will confirm or reject Umoren’s appointment is chaired by Umoren’s mentor and principal, Akpabio, who is also an APC leader.
“The backdoor manipulation of voter choices in 2027 has kicked off four years ahead of schedule!” Soyombo said.