The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to an unsubstantiated and outrightly fabricated report making the rounds that some Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) have been removed.

The report suggests that the RECs were removed by the Commission.

This is to assure the general public that the entire report is outrightly false. The true position is that the 13 RECs in question have formally served out their 5-year terms and the Commission used the occasion of the post-election Retreat just concluded with them in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to treat them to a farewell dinner on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. The Hon. Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, did make it clear that the farewell dinner was without prejudice to the possibility of their being returned by the appointing authorities for further terms.

The RECs whose tenures officially expired are those who served in Benue, Taraba, Kebbi, Kogi, Ebonyi, Enugu and Gombe states. The others are those in Oyo, Abia, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi and Ogun States.

It should be noted that the RECs have served with exceptional diligence and integrity, and it was in view of this that the Commission deemed them deserving of a farewell dinner, irrespective of whether or not they would return for further terms. Besides, the Commission is in no legal position to sack RECs.

The public is, therefore, urged to discountenance the false report.