The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Oyo state, Barrister Mutiu Agboke, Sunday warned politicians in the state to desist from falsehood and unnecessary propaganda targeted at his person.
Barrister Agboke in a statement signed by the state INEC Head of Department Voter Education, Gender and Publicity, Mrs Katherine Ogwu denied allegations against him by a group within Oyo state chapter of PDP that he received N10 million from Governor Seyi Makinde and
allegedly had a meeting with the governor prior to Saturday congress.
According to the statement, the allegations was “spurious, baseless and unfounded allegations by a faceless and attention-seeking group” bent on tarnishing the good image of the INEC REC in Oyo state.
The statement read: “The attention of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Oyo state, Barrister Mutiu Agboke has been drawn to a spurious, baseless and unfounded allegations by a faceless and attention seeking group, the immediate reaction of the REC is not to give undue popularity to these individuals by joining issues with a faceless and unguided people, but for the discerning minds in Oyo State who might be concerned about the propaganda targeted at the person of the REC”, it said.
The statement added, “Agboke is a man of integrity, Honour and determination to do the right thing at all times as demonstrated by him in the last general election in 2019. There is no amount of campaign of calumny, intimidation, harassment, name dropping, spurious allegations that will intimidate him from doing the right thing.
“Oyo state INEC reiterates very strongly that it will not under no circumstances give recognition to any factional groups in any political party using INEC to validate its activities for legitimacy. What else, the faceless group has demonstrated ignorance to the effect of not knowing the mandate of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at relating with registered political parties and not a factional group or groups.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Barrister Agboke was never at any meeting with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Saturday, neither did he receive N10million either directly or by proxy as insinuated by these enemies of democratic norms nor did he instruct the staff of the commission at the local government to close the office at 1pm on the day of the congress with the intention of not receiving the result of the factional group in the PDP”.
The statement reads further, “at the appropriate time, the law would be made to take its course on the allegations as they will be made to prove the allegations before a competent court of jurisdiction”, adding, “INEC has a mandate to relate will political parties and not a factional group or groups.”
It stressed, ” this, the Oyo state INEC has done as it affects the People’s Democratic Party, PDP’s ward congresses held on Saturday. And we will continue to do always”, adding, ” the leadership of PDP in Oyo State had written INEC informing the Commission of its congresses at ward level, stating the venues for the said congresses with the names of personnel and their respective phone numbers and officials of the Commission were accordingly deployed to the venues of the congresses as dictated by the leadership of PDP in Oyo State.
“Whoever is waiting for the INEC to be deployed to their rooms or their beer parlours for whatever reasons is only waiting for the winking of a crab, such person or persons will stay longer than usual by the river bank.”
