A group known as Public Interest Lawyers League, has berated the Department of State Services for what they term “the harassment of the the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Akwa Ibom state, Austin Okojie.”
According to the statement signed by one Abdul Mahmud and published by Breaking Times, the REC was arrested and detained by the DSS and later requested to report daily to their office. The group believe that the DSS was acting based on an instruction from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The APC had last week accused the REC of causing damages to electoral materials in order to favour the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The group described the APC’s claim as “absolute bunkum going by the claim for any self-respecting party to come to the irrevocable conclusion that the Resident Electoral Commissioner is criminally liable for an offence that has not be proven or established on the basis of proof or evidence, let alone established beyond all reasonable doubt that the Resident Electoral Commissioner is criminally liable “for the damages to the electoral materials.
“Clearly, there is something going on beyond what the APC has placed in the public domain that points to a more sinister motive at discrediting the Akwa Ibom governorship election outside the adjudicatory precinct of the election tribunal.
The group also frowned at the relocation of the state’s Election Petition Tribunal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, while also querying the interest of federal agencies in the Akwa Ibom elections.
Shedding more light on the Akwa Ibom REC situation, the group accused the DSS of constantly harassing the INEC boss. They said, “We condemn in no uncertain term the continuing attacks on his rights and liberties and we call on the DSS to release him forthwith if they have him.
“Finally, we call on President Buhari to call the DSS to order. We can’t as a nation do away with a DSS the APC alleged was very partisan in the run up to the last elections only for the party to seek institutionalize a DSS that is appearing far worse and more sinister than the one it has done away with. Democracy flourishes best when the opposition thrives. We can’t afford to have our country taken back to the dark days of dictatorship.”
In a related development, the INEC boss in Rivers state, Dame Gesila Khan, was apprehended by DSS operatives over her role in the conduct of the recent general elections in the state.
According to the statement signed by one Abdul Mahmud and published by Breaking Times, the REC was arrested and detained by the DSS and later requested to report daily to their office. The group believe that the DSS was acting based on an instruction from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The APC had last week accused the REC of causing damages to electoral materials in order to favour the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The group described the APC’s claim as “absolute bunkum going by the claim for any self-respecting party to come to the irrevocable conclusion that the Resident Electoral Commissioner is criminally liable for an offence that has not be proven or established on the basis of proof or evidence, let alone established beyond all reasonable doubt that the Resident Electoral Commissioner is criminally liable “for the damages to the electoral materials.
“Clearly, there is something going on beyond what the APC has placed in the public domain that points to a more sinister motive at discrediting the Akwa Ibom governorship election outside the adjudicatory precinct of the election tribunal.
The group also frowned at the relocation of the state’s Election Petition Tribunal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, while also querying the interest of federal agencies in the Akwa Ibom elections.
Shedding more light on the Akwa Ibom REC situation, the group accused the DSS of constantly harassing the INEC boss. They said, “We condemn in no uncertain term the continuing attacks on his rights and liberties and we call on the DSS to release him forthwith if they have him.
“Finally, we call on President Buhari to call the DSS to order. We can’t as a nation do away with a DSS the APC alleged was very partisan in the run up to the last elections only for the party to seek institutionalize a DSS that is appearing far worse and more sinister than the one it has done away with. Democracy flourishes best when the opposition thrives. We can’t afford to have our country taken back to the dark days of dictatorship.”
In a related development, the INEC boss in Rivers state, Dame Gesila Khan, was apprehended by DSS operatives over her role in the conduct of the recent general elections in the state.
