By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
A human rights group, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has strongly condemned the redeployment of Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to Oyo State ahead of 2015 general elections by the Professor Attairu Jega led-Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The group in a statement issued yesterday by its Executive Chairman,Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman indicated that they have concluded arrangement to team up with other stakeholders in Oyo state to stage a seven days marathon mass protest and rallies across the state for onward redeployment of Ambassador Akeju back to the National headquarters of the Commission for lesser assignment till the expiration of his tenure in June 2015.
“We urge the lovers of free and fair elections in a democracy and progressive minded people of Oyo State to support the crusade against the redeployment of Akeju from the State in order to have peaceful conduct of the election in 2015 in the state”.
It would be recalled that the INEC had announced the redeployment of the 37 RECs in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja in a letter signed by the Secretary of the Commission, Mrs Augusta C. Ogakwu recently.
The letter directed all RECs to con¬clude all handing and tak¬ing over formalities by Wednesday 31st of December, 2014 and the redeployment of Ambassador Akeju has been attended by an uproar in the state capital since the news of Akejus’ redeployment filtered to the State few days ago.