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“The Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, had been living in Akure, the state capital, at No. 3, Majekodunmi Street, Ijoka, Akure, with her parents for more than 10 years before her appointment as the state’s REC.

“The facts above, which are in the public domain, are an attestation to the fact that Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola will not, and can never, be fair, unbiased and an uncompromised umpire in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election as the REC.”

Two weeks ago, a youth group, the Ondo State Youth Vanguard, uttered the above as it challenged INEC’s preference for Babalola, whom they accused of being a resident of the state, as the commissioner to conduct the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

The youths, who converged on the headquarters of INEC in the state, protested against what they termed an unholy romance between Babalola and some politicians in the state. They described the development as unhealthy, unprofessional and capable of undermining the electoral process.

The leader of the group, Olawale Ijanusi, asserted that Babalola with her parents had lived for more than 10 years in Ondo State before she was appointed as the state’s REC.

Ijanusi called on the chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, to remove Babalola as the state’s REC ahead of the November election and replace her with a “neutral, unbiased and credible” individual to superintend the coming election.

“The demand became necessary and imperative in order to safeguard the election’s integrity and fairness and create a level playing ground in the forthcoming election in the state.

“This is not merely a request but also an imperative duty to safeguard the integrity of the INEC as the body responsible for protecting democracy and electoral processes carried out in the nation at large,” he said.

I am not for any party —Rec

But Babalola in a recent chat with the Nigerian Tribune denied hobnobbing with any of the leaders of the political parties or holding nocturnal meetings with them since she assumed office in the state. She was silent on her indigeneship.

She said, “It is not true. I didn’t hold any clandestine meeting with either the governor or any member of any political party.

“In INEC, we relate with all political parties. I have been operating open-door policies with all and I don’t have any preferred candidate for the election.

“I am not a member of any political party. In this election, we will ensure every vote counts and I promise there won’t be any form of bias. I am assuring the residents of the state and Nigerians that the election will be free, fair and credible.”

Gov Makinde joins call for REC’s removal

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State early this week gave life to the call for Babalola’s deployment. Speaking at the launch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign, the governor demanded the immediate redeployment of Babalola to ensure the neutrality of the INEC.

Governor Makinde charged the INEC chairman, Professor Yakubu, to redeploy Babalola over alleged partisanship and affiliation with an interested party in the election.

He said, “This message is for INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, that you must redeploy the Ondo REC, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola. She is from Ondo State.

“We will protest until she is removed. Ondo REC must be redeployed. She was born here. Her parents live here. She can never be fair in this election. We don’t want her in Ondo State. Babalola must leave.

“What they did in Edo will not succeed in Ondo. We will protest until she is removed. Bring another REC that will be fair; that will allow a level playing field. We, as PDP, aren’t afraid of any contest. Remove her or else we will continue to protest.”

However, INEC said the assertion that the REC hailed from Ondo State was incorrect.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Mrs Babalola is not from Ondo State, in line with the Commission’s policy not to deploy a REC to his or her state of origin,” the electoral body said.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP had differed on Makinde’s call for the redeployment of Babalola. While the Ondo and Oyo state chapters of the APC knocked Makinde for the call, the Ondo and South West chapters of the PDP declared support for the Oyo State governor.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Alex Kalejaiye, the Ondo State APC faulted Makinde’s comment, saying the REC had been demonstrating integrity, competence and capacity to handle any election since she assumed office.

“The party notes that the electoral officer has, since assumption of office, demonstrated integrity, competence and capacity to handle any election. We find it extremely ludicrous that Makinde would give a directive in such a manner when he didn’t influence the transfer of Mrs Babalola to Ondo State, neither is he a player in the political space of the state,” the APC said.

Reacting, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Mr Kennedy Peretei, described the APC’s reaction to Makinde’s comment as pedestrian, insisting that the governor is a major stakeholder in the PDP.

“Ondo State APC is, as usual, very pedestrian in their response to Engr Seyi Makinde’s call for the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a free and fair election in Ondo State.

“They feign ignorance of the facts in the public domain that the Resident Electoral Commissioner has been holding nocturnal meetings with the APC leadership. Governor Seyi Makinde is a critical stakeholder in the Peoples Democratic Party and can advise the APC appropriately,” Peretei said.

The PDP in the South West, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, also declared support for Makinde’s call, saying the governor had made a very important observation and should not be discountenanced by INEC.

“There is a need for vigilance among the people of Ondo State to protect their mandate. The party believes that the REC’s ties to the ruling APC make her unfit to oversee the upcoming election. Any attempt or attempts to manipulate the election through Babalola or other APC leaders will be met with strong resistance.

“The South West PDP remains resolute in its support for the call for redeployment of Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, who is currently the INEC REC in Ondo State because she cannot be trusted to superintend the November governorship election due to her alleged conspicuous ties with the ruling APC in the state.

“The people of Ondo State, especially the downtrodden, are particularly concerned about the upcoming election, and INEC has the responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in the electoral processes,” the South West PDP said.

Babalola, who was INEC’s Director of Legal Drafting and Clearance, was one of the commission’s 10 RECs approved by President Bola Tinubu and cleared by the National Assembly in December 2023 for a term of five years.

Her nomination was not without controversy. The initial nominee from Ekiti State, Bamidele Agbede, was dropped after having been among the five individuals that made the initial list. Agbede failed to make the final list as he was replaced, with no reason given for the change.

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