Again, another senior official raises alarm over replacement of Igbo, Xtian INEC staffs with Yoruba, Hausa Muslims ahead of Lagos poll

Another very senior official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), name withheld, has again raised alarm over reported move by the electoral body to replace Igbo, Christian staffs with Yoruba, Hausa Muslims ahead of the forthcoming governorship election coming up on March 18, 2023, in Lagos.

Recall that News Band published a report entitled “INEC official raises alarm, says Igbo, Christian Ratechs replaced with Yoruba, Hausa Muslims ahead of Lagos guber election” on March 10, 2023.

According to the report, an official, who is a member of the INEC team working across the polling units in Lagos State, said he received an internal memo from their superior in their WhatsApp group stating that INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, sent a new list of people who will work on the governorship and state assembly elections.

He, however, discovered that his name has been removed, including other Igbos, Niger Deltans and Christians who worked during the presidential elections in February 25, 2023, especially in Lagos.

They also discovered that they have replaced them with Yoruba and Hausa Muslim names.

He claimed that they believe these are the people who stand with their All Progressives Congress (APC) mandate.

In this latest discovery, another very senior INEC staff, who is dissatisfied with what is happening at the offices of INEC, raised a similar alarm.

He sent a memo to the editorial board of News Band, which reads as follows:

“The INEC office in Lagos has removed all Igbo and South South staff in the State from sensitive election duties for the March 18th election.

“They did not give any reason, but it was said that the INEC leadership which takes directives from the Tinubu political group said they do not trust the Igbo/SS staff to do as they will want them to do at the election.”