‘All We Want To Hear Is Sacking’ — Nigerians Tell INEC As It Investigates ‘Liking’ Of Anti-Obi Twitter Post 

Some Nigerians on social media have demanded sacking of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official who used the commission’s Twitter account to like a tweet in which the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was criticized.

The social media users also want INEC to redeploy its Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, Olusegun Agbaje, over reports that Mc Oluomo, a loyalist of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would be overseeing commercial drivers hired by INEC to distribute sensitive election materials in the state on election day.

Following the outrage trailing both instances on social media, INEC issued a statement via its Twitter account on Wednesday night, promising to investigate the circumstances that led to its Twitter liking the tweet against Obi.

The commission reiterated that it remains independent and neutral as the statutory body in charge of conducting elections in Nigeria.

“The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to a post on its Twitter handle, liking a post relating to one of the 18 Presidential candidates.

“The Commission is an independent electoral body and does not have preference for any candidate or political party. The Commission assures all Nigerians of its neutrality and will conduct a general election that is free and fair to all. The allegiance of the Commission is to the people of Nigeria.

“In the meantime, the Commission is investigating the circumstances that led to the liking of the said post and will take appropriate disciplinary actions if an infraction is established,” tweeted.

But reacting to the tweets, Nigerians demanded that for it to be seen as impartial or unbiased, INEC must change its Lagos REC and sack the member of its social media team who liked the tweet against Obi. Below are some of the reactions:

@Balatic: “All we want to hear is you have sacked the Agbado addict in your media team who liked the news on another Agbado lover’s rant. While you’re at it, also sack the man in Lagos who’s bent on sacrificing his career because of Agbado. I’m talking about the bigot Segun Agbaje”

@MannieCEO: “We demand a public announcement on the layoff of the handler that like that tweet. There must be penalties. As a concerned Nigerian, I’m begging @inecnigeria DO NOT SET THIS NATION ABLAZE. We deserve better as a country”

@ChineduAnaz: “An infraction has already been established. Your handled liked the said post. Your neutrality is in question. Remove Agbado from your pocket.”

@EkehAnthony1: “This is a strict liability offence. The commission has nth to investigate. It is like finding psychotropic drugs in d possession of someone. It is already established dat ur verified Twitter acct liked a tweet dat reveals partisanship on ur part. The handler shld be removed.”

@GreatDGr8: “The same person that liked that post, is also the person tweeting this. The usual way to cool situations in Nigeria is, “we will investigate it”. You guys might think that you have the power to do anything, but there a God in heaven, the most powerful. In due time, he will act.”

@BlackArkDubem: “You’re not neutral in any way , you didn’t act on the complaints about your staff denying some regions their pvcs, you only write long epistles , just few days ago you contracted a strong member of a political party to take charge of electoral materials in lagos state.”

@PauloRichie_hga: “We’re not fools. No circumstances led to the liking of the post. The post was liked because you like the content of the article. Let that stop because a lot of people are following this page and they may get influenced by the contents you engage.”

@Santos09909: “”if an infraction is established” But you just admitted that your official handle liked a tweet that clearly attacked a candidate. Do you still need to establish an infraction? Is it not evidential enough? Why is the individual still having a job? If indeed u r neutral??”

@GraceUp1:” What infractions do you need to establish again? It is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that you liked that post. As long as you retain Agbaje,Lagos REC,there is no way Nigerians should trust your neutrality”

@CAKwazie: “Thank you for that INEC. This Oluomo saga, when are you going to take action. When are you going to remove the seemingly compromised REC in lagos. Na seriously matter be this oo.”