• Hausa Edition
  • Podcast
  • Conferences
  • LeVogue Magazine
  • Business News
  • Print Advert Rates
  • Online Advert Rates
  • Contact Us
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Leadership Newspapers
Read in Hausa
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Leadership Newspapers
No Result
View All Result

2023: CSOs Dismiss Concern Over Redeployment Of INEC Staff

by Sunday Isuwa and Tunde Oguntola
3 years ago
in Cover Stories, Featured, News
Mahmud Yakubu, INEC Chairman

Mahmud Yakubu, INEC Chairman

Share on WhatsAppShare on FacebookShare on XTelegram

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country have dismissed concern over the recent redeployment of some staff of the ndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Advertisement

Specifically, the CSOs said they advocated the changes in the commission to improve transparency and accountability.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP last night, chairman of IPAC, the umbrella body of all the political parties in Nigeria, Yabagi Sani, said there is no cause for alarm over the changes in INEC.

“There can’t be anything wrong with that. It is a normal managerial activity. The management of INEC has the right to move their staff from one office to another to improve their work in the commission.

“One cannot question that because it is not against their rules and the constitution. It is in order; they have the right to always reshuffle,” Sani said.

RELATED

Lagos To Enforce Mandatory Health Insurance By 2026

Lagos To Enforce Mandatory Health Insurance By 2026

3 hours ago
Miracle Videos: CAN Under Fire Over Comment Against Prophet Fufeyin

Miracle Videos: CAN Under Fire Over Comment Against Prophet Fufeyin

3 hours ago

On the issue raised concerning the change in the office of the director of ICT, a department overseeing the electronic voting and transmission of election results, Sani said nobody is indispensable.

“Is there anyone that cannot be changed? Nobody is indispensable. Even though everybody’s contribution is required, nobody is indispensable. INEC as an organisation is alive to its activities. As you know, anything can happen. Individuals can die, or resign from office. What will you do in that case? IPAC commends the effort of INEC which shows that it is alive to its responsibilities.”

Also, the CSOs have toed the line of IPAC, saying such changes are good to enhance efficiency and transparency at the commission.

The CSOs who spoke to LEADERSHIP are Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Transparency International (TI) and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).

Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, the groups said INEC must go a step further at monitoring its employees to ensure that anyone found working for politicians or political parties is punished.

“It is in line with what we have recommended to INEC, that they must change some of their personnel in order to give confidence to Nigerians and prevent connivance with politicians.

“We have advised INEC on the possibilities of carrying out such reform and staff audit to create more confidence in the system. In the past, there have been some allegations (of collusion to manipulate elections) involving some staff.

INEC Redeploys 2 RECs, 8 Directors

“We were of the opinion that to bring some level of sanity, some staff should be redesigned so that Nigerians will know that no staff connive to undermine the electoral process.

“This reshuffling is in line with what TMG and some other CSOs wanted. If INEC is in doubt with some staff members, it needs to redeploy them since we were asking INEC to do something that will give more confidence to Nigerians because we didn’t want any suspicion that would emerge in the 2023 general elections.

INEC recently redeployed its director of ICT, Engr Chidi Nwafor, from Abuja to now serve as the commission’s administrative secretary in Enugu State.

Nwafor was replaced by Engineer Paul Omokore who was director, Planning and Monitoring Department.

Besides the change in the ICT department, INEC had also redeployed two Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and eight directorate level staff members.

The commission had also redeployed 385 employees nationwide, as part of efforts to ensure efficient and optimal performance. The affected workers were either serving in their states of origin or had served for between 10 and 32 years in the same state.

INEC, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, signed by the chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye, said the redeployment was in line with the Commission’s extant policy.

The statement said the REC Cross River State Dr Cyril Omorogbe was posted to Akwa Ibom State, while Dr Alalibo Johnson Sinikiem the REC Edo State was posted to Cross River State.

INEC in the statement entitled: Redeployment Of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECS) and Posting of Staff said the redeployments/postings take immediate effect.

“Handing and taking over should be concluded on/or before Friday 26th August 2022,” the statement said.

Also redeployed are: Engineer Paul Omokore director, Planning and Monitoring Department, Headquarters, Abuja now director ICT, Headquarters, Abuja; Engr Chidi Nwafor, director, ICT now administrative secretary, Enugu State; Mr Chima Duruaku, administrative secretary, Anambra State now director, Planning and Monitoring Department, Headquarters, Abuja.

Others are: Mr Jude Okwuanu, administrative secretary, Enugu State now administrative secretary, Anambra State; Usman Musa Wase, acting director, Human Resource Management, Headquarters, Abuja now acting administrative secretary, Nasarawa State; Mr Salisu Garba, director in the Electoral Operations Department now director Procurement, Headquarters, Abuja; Barr. Waziri Zanna, acting administrative Secretary, FCT now acting director, Human Resource Management, Headquarters, Abuja; and Godwin Wada Edibo, acting administrative secretary, Nasarawa State now acting administrative secretary, FCT.

However, the change in the ICT department had sparked concerns in some quarters following the timing and sensitivity of that department to the electoral process.

The removal of the ICT director comes barely weeks after the Ekiti and Osun State governorship elections which were used to test the electronic transmission of results which was recently passed into law by the National Assembly.

Also, there are concerns over the need to avoid hiccups in the department which has become critical to the entire electoral system ahead of the 2023 general election.

Nwafor, sources said, has been one of the central figures driving the ICT revolution in INEC since the tenure of Prof Mahmud Jega as the commission’s chief executive. His movement from a technical to a clerical position away from the headquarters has raised some questions.

However, the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC) and some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on Nigerians not to panic over changes at INEC ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“This change is apt and there should be more monitoring of the staff on anything that will bring doubt to the integrity of INEC. So, Nigerians should not panic, ” Rafsanjani added.


We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →

Join Our WhatsApp Channel

BREAKING NEWS: Nigerians can now earn US Dollars from the comfort of their homes with Ultra-Premium domains, acquire them for as low as $1700 and profit as much as $25,000. Click here to learn how you can earn US Dollars consistently.


Tags: Inec
SendShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Electricity Workers Call Off Strike After Shutting Down National Grid

Next Post

$418m Paris Club Refund… Governors Fire Back At Malami, Accuse Him Of Pursuing Self-interests

Sunday Isuwa and Tunde Oguntola

Sunday Isuwa and Tunde Oguntola

You May Like

Lagos To Enforce Mandatory Health Insurance By 2026
News

Lagos To Enforce Mandatory Health Insurance By 2026

2025/07/02
Miracle Videos: CAN Under Fire Over Comment Against Prophet Fufeyin
News

Miracle Videos: CAN Under Fire Over Comment Against Prophet Fufeyin

2025/07/02
Transport Unions Seek Restoration Of Speed Breakers On Ilorin-Jebba Expressway 
News

Transport Unions Seek Restoration Of Speed Breakers On Ilorin-Jebba Expressway 

2025/07/02
NPC Boss Dan’Agundi Cancels Birthday Celebration To Mourn Dantata
News

NPC Boss Dan’Agundi Cancels Birthday Celebration To Mourn Dantata

2025/07/02
Reps Divided Over Bill Seeking To Legalise Cultivation, Use Of Marijuana
News

Reps Unveil Compendium Of 86 Constitution Alteration Bills 

2025/07/02
Firm Launches Drive To Strengthen Enterprise Risk Management Practices Across Africa
Business

Firm Launches Drive To Strengthen Enterprise Risk Management Practices Across Africa

2025/07/02
Leadership Conference advertisement

LATEST

Lagos To Enforce Mandatory Health Insurance By 2026

Miracle Videos: CAN Under Fire Over Comment Against Prophet Fufeyin

Transport Unions Seek Restoration Of Speed Breakers On Ilorin-Jebba Expressway 

NPC Boss Dan’Agundi Cancels Birthday Celebration To Mourn Dantata

Reps Unveil Compendium Of 86 Constitution Alteration Bills 

Firm Launches Drive To Strengthen Enterprise Risk Management Practices Across Africa

Buhari Ill, Now Recovering In UK — Aide

Court Sentences 2 Beninese, Others To 5-yr Jail Term For Trafficking Cocaine

Kano Gov’t Bans Scrap Materials From North-East

Police Rescue Ghanaian, Arrest 3 Suspected Kidnappers 

© 2025 Leadership Media Group - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Leadership Media Group - All Rights Reserved.