A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address allegations that some of its top officials received land and cash gifts from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
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In a statement issued Tuesday, the party’s factional National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the controversy raises concerns about the neutrality of the electoral body at a critical time.
The party noted reports suggesting that land allocations were made to senior officials of the commission, including claims that a supervising national commissioner for the FCT acknowledged receiving such a benefit.
“Last week, the news media was awash with stories of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, offering land and cash gifts to senior staff of the Commission. Later, another news item surfaced wherein Mr. Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who is the Supervising National Commissioner for the FCT, was quoted to have admitted the land gift,” the statement read.
The PDP questioned why such incentives were allegedly directed at officials linked to the electoral process, rather than other essential sectors.
“This news is very disturbing and worrisome and seems to connect the dots in the land-for-favour scenario currently being widely speculated as the strategy for institutional capture of the Minister. It’s curious that these land gifts are given to officials in agencies critical to elections, whereas there are other officials in critical development sectors, like healthcare professionals, teachers, and even security officials—whose duties demand that they live in the capital city. We haven’t heard of any land allocation to these people, obviously because they are not directly related to the election process.”
The party urged the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission to publicly clarify the situation, including allegations that its chairman may also be implicated.
“We hereby demand that the National Chairman of INEC comes clean on these allegations against his top officials, and even himself, as he has also been alleged to be a beneficiary. These stories, at a time like this, deepen the erosion of public trust in an electoral umpire with a legacy of stained credibility. Therefore, the Commission should, as a matter of urgency and priority, inform the public of the true situation regarding this matter.”
The statement further stressed the need for transparency, warning that public confidence in the commission must not be undermined.
“The Commission must remember at all times that it must strive to be, like Caesar’s wife, above board, and ensure that transparency and impartiality are not just watchwords but are obvious in both its words and actions.”
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