₦22bn Allegations Surrounding Appointment Of New RECs by Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu’s recent appointment of Etekamba Umoren as the new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom State has raised concerns due to Umoren’s party affiliations, connections to Senate President Akpabio, and past embezzlement allegations.

Umoren was one of the ten RECs appointed by Tinubu on Wednesday, with the State House emphasizing the importance of professional and ethical conduct in their roles.

However, questions have arisen regarding Umoren’s impartiality, given his history of supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his close ties to Akpabio. Section 141 of the Electoral Act 2022 states that individuals holding elective office or being registered members of a political party should not serve as returning officers, electoral officers, presiding officers, or poll clerks.

Umoren’s removal from the position of Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government in 2018, during Governor Udom Emmanuel’s tenure, was linked to his association with Akpabio. The conflict between Akpabio, who switched from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, and Emmanuel, the PDP governor, further raised suspicions.

Aniete Okon, a PDP senator, claimed that Umoren’s removal was unrelated to the rift between the PDP and Akpabio. Despite this, Umoren continued to demonstrate support for Akpabio and the APC, especially after the 2019 elections.

In March 2019, Umoren expressed dissatisfaction with the electoral process and pledged that Senator Akpabio would reclaim his mandate through the tribunal. Additionally, Umoren faced accusations, alongside Akpabio and Udo Isobara, the former Accountant General of Akwa Ibom, of embezzling a substantial sum of at least ₦22 billion at the end of Akpabio’s gubernatorial term in 2015.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation indicated that Akwa Ibom received approximately ₦1.6 trillion from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) between June 2007 and May 2014.

Leo Ekpenyong, a lawyer and activist from Akwa Ibom, filed a petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging that the trio of Godswill Akpabio, Etekamba Umoren, and Udo Isobara made illegal withdrawals totaling ₦22.1 billion from a state government-owned account with Zenith Bank. These withdrawals raised concerns, as they circumvented financial regulations and due process laws.

The EFCC detained and interrogated Akpabio in response to these allegations, which he denied. The situation surrounding Umoren’s appointment as the Akwa Ibom State REC remains a topic of scrutiny and debate.