PDP accuses Jega of insincerity for retaining Osun REC

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Alhaji
Gani Olaoluwa, has accused the Chairman of Independent National
Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Atahiru Jega, of insincerity
forretaining the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr.
Rufus Akeju, despite a court order allegedly restraining him from
doing so.
Olaoluwa said this in a statement made available to journalists in
Osogbo on Saturday.
The PDP chairman said the refusal of the INEC chairman to obey the
court order restraining him from retaining the REC.
The statement read, "Prof. Jega is not honest about the issue of the
resident electoral officer in Osun as a Federal High Court has
restrained INEC from using Mr. Akeju. It baffles the PDP what Akeju
is still doing in Osun State.
"Only yesterday (Thursday) , the All Progressives Congress
inaugurated one of its offices beside INEC office along Ilobu Road.
How can a political office be situated beside an INEC office. Is this
right?
"We want Jega to tell us if what is happening in Osun is right because
he who comes to equity must come with clean hands."
But the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu,
had recently denied a similar allegation raised by Senator Iyiola
Omisore.
Idowu said in a statement that the allegation leveled against Jega was not true.
The statement read, "True, in a ruling on 23rd March, 2011 by
theFederal High Court in Osogbo, Hon. Justice Babs Kuewumi gave an
interlocutory order of injunction restraining INEC from recognising
the REC, pending the hearing and determination of the originating
summons in the suit. But the commission's lawyers lodged an appeal
and filed a motion for stay of execution of the interlocutory order."
"This appeal is still pending before the Court of Appeal in Akure.
Meanwhile, Hon. Justice Babs Kuewumi, in another ruling on 31st May,
2012, granted the application for stay of proceedings pending the
determination of the appeal made by the Plaintiff - the Peoples
Democratic Party. The position of the law as at today is that the
order of injunction granted by the lower court is in abeyance pending
the final determination of the appeal."