REC Nominee Says He Is Card Carrying APC Member

The Senate screening committee was on Tuesday forced to adjourn for two days to enable a nominee for the position of Resident Electoral Commission, REC recover himself after admitting to being a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

The constitution forbids members of a registered political party from being nominated for the position.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominee for REC from Osun State, Raheem Olalekan blurted to the committee his fidelity with the ruling party.

“I am a member of APC. I am a member of APC and I contested for local government chairmanship in 2013,” the 46-year-old told the Senator Kabiru Gaya led Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Mr. Olalekan stuck to his position despite repeated efforts by committee members to lead him out of the quandary with suggestions that his membership was in the past but the nominee stuck to his position.

Besides contesting for local government election on the platform of the party in 2013, he said he also acted as campaign manager for a candidate in 2017.

“I am a member of APC. I am a member of APC and I contested for local government chairmanship in 2013. In 2015, I left politics and moved on to the University of Ibadan to go and study psychology.

“I had the card then when I had the intention of contesting for election. On the question if I was a DG of a contestant, Yes I was DG of a contestant in 2017 “

Following his assertions, the committee adjourned deliberations to Thursday apparently to enable him recover himself.

The others screened as RECs were Umar Gajiram Commissioner (Borno) and Dr Alalibo Johnson Commissioner (Bayelsa).

Chairman of the Committee Sen. Kabiru Gaya speaking after the screening said:

“They were asked questions and they answered to the best of their ability, there were no petitions for the two of the candidates Dr Alalibo Johnson and Alhaji Aminu Guram.

“There was petition against Alhaji Olalekan from Osun state based on constitutional provision of the Act which said the President should nominate present Commissioners of INEC of people of integrity and good character and they should not be a card carrying member of any political party.

“For Olalekan, there was a petition against him that he is a member of a political party, that he has ran through campaigns and that he is a registered member of a political party.

“We asked him questions he defended himself to the best he could but there is still more to ask from him.

“We have given him two days to come back to us for more discussions,” Gaya said.

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