Olusegun Ariyo
Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has urged the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that individuals with political ties, especially spouses of politicians, are not appointed to sensitive positions within the commission.
Oshiomhole made the call during the Senate screening of the new INEC Chairman, citing personal experiences from Edo State as an example of how conflicts of interest can undermine the credibility of elections.
He said, “One last point, an experience we had in Edo State, because the Senate President said we should speak from our own experiences. The chairman of a political party, one that is dying now, had his wife serving as a director or heading the ICT unit of INEC in the state.”
According to the former governor, such appointments blur the line between partisan politics and electoral management, creating room for manipulation.
“The husband, being the PDP chairman at the time, had his wife boasting that she could supply information that would help them deal with accreditation issues,” Oshiomhole alleged.
He urged the incoming INEC leadership to create clear policies that will prevent such conflicts from occurring in the future.
“Will you be able, as you have assured us, to make a policy that says if you are the spouse of a politician, you cannot be given a sensitive appointment? We must avoid turning INEC into a family affair,” he added
