The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has asked the security agencies to immediately arrest and prosecute those who assaulted and brutalised one of its national commissioners deployed to Adamawa State for Saturday’s supplementary governorship poll.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that shortly after the controversial announcement of Aisha Binani as the purported winner of the governorship election by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Hudu Ari, a video emerged showing an INEC national commissioner, Abdu Zuru, stripped naked by some mobs.
It was gathered that the national commissioner was mistaken for Mr Ari, who ‘illegally’ declared Mrs Binani the winner of the election.
While reacting to the incident, INEC chairman for information and voter education, Festus Okoye, said the commission would not allow a senior citizen to be treated like a common criminal.
Mr Okoye said: “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.
“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.”
He disclosed that Mr Ari has been summoned to face a panel in Abuja.
“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.
“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,” Mr Okoye said.
