- Writes 31 foreign missions alleging rigging
BY VICTOR BUORO – A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has dragged 44 top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before 31 key Foreign Missions in Nigeria over allegations of promoting in-house rigging of the 2023 presidential poll.
Similarly, Intersociety is also calling on the Foreign Missions, which represent the world’s best and most powerful democracies, to act against those it described as four conspiratorial state governors for their alleged involvement in voter suppression, alleged INEC in-house poll rigging and gross rights abuses during the February 25 polls
Among those written to by Intersociety are; the Head of the EU delegation to Nigeria, ECOWAS, and Ambassadors/High Commissioners of the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland and, Belgium.
Others include; Spain, Austria, Czech, Portugal, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Australia, the Vatican, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Greece, and Hungary.
Intersociety said listed in its petition against the Nigerian officials for their vicarious or direct liability in truncating the electoral process are INEC’s National Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, and fourteen serving and immediate past National Commissioners of the Commission – with their states of origin, Rtd Air Vice Marshal Ahmed Mua’zu, (Gombe); Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu (Delta); and Dr Adekunle Ladipo Ogunmola (Oyo)
Others on the list are Sam Olumekun (Ondo), Major Gen Abubakar Alkali rtd (Adamawa); Rhoda Gumus (Bayelsa); Barr Festus Okoye (Anambra); Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti); Muhammad Kallah (Borno); Dr Baba Bila (North-East); Prof Sani Adam (North-Central); Prof Abdullahi Abdu (North-West); Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna (Kano); and Ukegbu Nnamdi (Abia).
Intersociety conveyed details of its latest action in a statement signed by its Board Chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist), Chinwe Umeche Esq – Head, Democracy, and Good Governance; and Chidinma Udegbunam Esq – Head, Campaign, and Publicity, among others.
