The controversy surrounding Umoren's nomination stems from his alleged affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
President Bola Tinubu recently appointed Umoren and eight other RECs, with at least four of them having ties to the president and his party.
The CSOs' rejection of Umoren as the INEC REC highlights the concerns about the independence and impartiality of the electoral commission.
CSOs play a crucial role in ensuring transparency and accountability in the electoral process, and their opposition to Umoren's appointment raises questions about the credibility of future elections in Akwa Ibom State.
A release made available to the Press by the organization cites Section 156(1)(a) and Third Schedule, Part 1, Item F, Paragraph 14(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which outrightly disqualifies any person in partisan politics and card-carrying member of a political party from being appointed into INEC as an electoral umpire.
"That, Mr. Etekamba Umoren is a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State who had also campaigned for the APC during the elections."
"That, the appointment of Mr. Etekamba Umoren will further undermine citizens’ confidence in INEC and increase mistrust in the commission."
"That, the appointment will also jeopardize the trust of other political parties in the commission," the release stated.
The release also states that "as civil society organizations that were part of the struggle for the return to democracy in Nigeria in 1999, we will not allow any undemocratic action that will truncate our hard-earned democracy, which some of our colleagues unfortunately paid the supreme price with their lives."
The CSOs have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw the appointment of Mr. Etekamba Umoren as a Resident Electoral Commissioner in INEC from Akwa Ibom State, in the interest of the public.
"Mr. Etekamba Umoren does not meet the constitutional requirements of being non-partisan as defined by Section 156(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be appointed as an INEC Commissioner," they said.
Speaking through the Director of the Center For Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), Otuekong Franklyn Isong, the CSOs said that Mr. Etekamba Umoren is not only a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress but an active politician who had held several political appointments, including as the Secretary to the Government of Akwa Ibom State under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), before he defected to the ruling APC in Akwa Ibom State on the 8th of August, 2018.
They also added that his last political appointment was the Chief of Staff to Senator Godswill Akpabio when Senator Akpabio was the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Ministry.
CSOs teaming up to call for Umoren's removal include People’s Rights to Life Development Foundation, Vital Partners for Development, Comrade Education Support Associates, Civil Society Network for Development, and Youth & Girls Child Education Network.
Etekamba's appointment has already triggered outrage among Nigerians, with many individuals and groups calling for the withdrawal of the appointment by President Tinubu because Mr. Umoren had openly declared his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
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