The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a stern warning to opposition parties against targeting state Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and instigating protests ahead of significant elections.

This statement follows a demonstration in Abuja by protesters from Ondo State, who demanded the immediate redeployment of Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the state's REC.

The demonstrators, carrying placards with messages such as "Mahmood: Redeploy Babalola now" and "We don’t want a repeat of Edo fiasco," blocked access to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters. They sought to meet with INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to press their demands.

This protest echoes similar concerns raised by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who recently claimed that Babalola's connections to the APC could jeopardize the impartiality of the electoral process.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Ayo Adeyemi, leader of the Ondo Youth League, emphasized that while they respect Babalola's achievements, her local ties raise questions about her ability to oversee a fair election.

Adeyemi stated, "We are not here to quarrel with INEC or tarnish her image. However, we believe that for a credible election, we cannot have Babalola in charge." He urged INEC to appoint someone without local biases to ensure a transparent electoral process.

In response to the protests, INEC National Commissioner Maj Gen Modibbo Alkali acknowledged the demonstrators' concerns and assured them that their request would be considered. He reiterated INEC's commitment to neutrality and fairness in managing elections.

Meanwhile, the APC condemned the protests as an attempt to undermine the integrity of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for November 16.

Bala Ibrahim, the APC's National Publicity Director, criticized the trend of demanding REC redeployments before elections, suggesting that such actions stem from desperation among opposition parties.