Our reporter/ The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has condemned in strong terms the attack on one of its national commissioners, who was “stripped naked and dragged” while on election duty in Adamawa state on Sunday.
A video trended online on Sunday purportedly showing an INEC official stripped to his underwear.
Reacting to the development late on Sunday in a chat with reporters, Festus Okoye, director, information and voter education ofthecommission, said the assaulted national commissioner is a former vice-chancellor of Usman Danfodiyo University (UDUS), Sokoto.
Okoye said the national commissioner was treated like a “common criminal” for doing his job.
Okoye further stated that the electoral body will not allow the assault to stand and called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.
“If you see what is trending, two national commissioners were deployed to Adamawa state. One of them was brutalised, and one of them was stripped naked. That will not be allowed to stand, he said.
“The security agencies must unmask those who engaged in that particular act. They must be arrested, investigated and prosecuted.
“A national commissioner cannot be treated like a common criminal. A former VC of Usman Danfodiyo University, a senior citizen was stripped naked and dragged.
“This commission will not allow that to stand and the chairman of the commission is viewing this with the seriousness it deserves. So, all the people who engaged in this particular act, the security agencies must unmask them.”
Commenting on the “illegal” declaration of a winner by Hudu Yinusa-Ari, the resident electoral commissioner in Adamawa, Okoye said the REC will face a panel to explain his actions.
“But for what the REC has done, we have summoned him to Abuja and he must appear. Then the commission will sit and take a decision on further collation of results and what to do with the REC,” he said.
“Ten LGAs have been collated, the commission adjourned to reconvene, only for the REC to emerge and arrogated himself the task of being a returning officer and purportedly made a declaration
“Whatever he did was illegal, null and void. It has been rendered useless by the commission.”
The REC had earlier on Sunday declared Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election.
Leave a Reply