Avoid appointing politicians’ spouses to sensitive positions – Oshiomhole tells INEC boss

Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has called on the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, to ensure that individuals with political affiliations particularly spouses of politicians are not assigned to sensitive roles within the commission.

Oshiomhole made the appeal during the Senate screening of the new INEC Chairman, emphasizing that conflicts of interest could compromise the credibility of elections.

Sharing a personal experience, the lawmaker recounted:

“One last point, an experience we had in Edo State, because the Senate President said we should speak from our own experiences. The chairman of a political party one that is dying now had his wife serving as a director or heading the ICT unit of INEC in the state.”

According to Oshiomhole, such appointments blur the line between partisan politics and electoral administration, creating opportunities for manipulation.

“The husband, being the PDP chairman at the time, had his wife boasting that she could supply information to help them handle accreditation issues,” he alleged.

He urged the incoming INEC leadership to establish clear policies preventing such conflicts of interest.

“Will you be able, as you have assured us, to make a policy that says if you are a spouse of a politician, you cannot be given a sensitive appointment? We must avoid turning INEC into a family affair,” he added.