Edo REC Invited By Police, Not Detained – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said its resident electoral commissioner (REC) for Edo State, Dr Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, was invited not detained by the Edo State Police Command.

INEC said the Edo State Police Command has issued a statement to clarify the situation, saying that the REC was only invited to provide insight into some technical issues regarding our processes and nothing more.

Media reports earlier suggested that Sinikiem, was invited and detained by the Edo State Police Command yesterday 28th July 2022 in connection with matters arising from the recent primaries conducted by a political party in the State.

However, a statement signed by the national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye yesterday in Abuja said: “he was neither detained nor is he personally under investigation as media reports suggested.”

While welcoming the clarification by the Police Command, Okoye said that “any other official of the Commission assigned by the REC could have provided the required insight.”

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Alternatively, he said a visit to its State Office by the Commissioner of Police or his assigned representative could have achieved the same goal as has been the tradition in its collaborative relationship with security agencies.

“For emphasis, our REC in Edo State, Dr Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, is a conscientious public officer and co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) at the State level.

“He was the sitting REC when the last Governorship election was conducted in Edo State on 19th September 2020 which was adjudged to be free, fair, and credible.

“Any action capable of creating the impression of harassment of our officials or infringement of the independence of the Commission must be avoided, especially at this critical period of our preparations for the 2023 General Election,” he added.