Anugbum Onuoha, the resident electoral commissioner in Edo, says being a cousin to Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), does not preclude him from being appointed as an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo, recently demanded that INEC redeploy Onuoha over his family ties with Wike.
Onuoha served as a special adviser on lands when Wike was the governor of Rivers State.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, Onuoha asked Nigerians to focus on his competency, character, and conscience, and ignore his relationship with Wike.
His words: “It is a fact that I am a cousin to the minister. On my appointment, I was invited by the Senate. The Senate screened and confirmed me. I was sworn in by my chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
“I was posted to Edo last year. Nobody complained that I’m a cousin to the minister. Of course, I’m a cousin to the minister. What we should be talking about at this time is capacity. Do you have the capacity to conduct the election? Are you competent enough?
“From my background, I am an associate professor of law. People should ask, ‘can he do this job? Has he done a similar thing before?’ Yes, I was an electoral commissioner in Rivers State’s RSIEC. Nobody complained.
“I’m coming from the university.
“The mere fact that I’m a cousin to Wike does not preclude me from being appointed. Am I not a Nigerian? What Nigerians should be after is the person’s competence and whether he has what it takes to handle the job. Those are the issues they should ask.”