INEC national commissioner Amina Zakari issues Fayose 2-day ultimatum to apologise over rigging accusations
With the Ekiti governorship election over, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)'s national commissioner, Amina Zakari, has finally responded to the allegations of Governor Ayodele Fayose that she was trying to use her office to rig the polls. Zakari demanded a public apology from Fayose within a space of two days.
The national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Amina Zakari, has given out an official notification to Governor Ayodele Fayose, demanding a public apology to be published in national dailies before the expiration of two days, Sahara Reporters reports.
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Ubong Akpan Chambers, Zakari's lawyer, said in a letter that Fayose’s accusation that she worked with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Kayode Fayemi, the winner of the 2018 Ekiti governorship election, has been injurious to her health, career and public reputation.
On July 2, the governor had alleged that commissioner and four other INEC officials Kenneth Ukeagu, the director of procurement department; Messrs Paschal Uwaenwe and Abdulrazaq Yusuf, which are deputy directors in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department; and Abdulrasak Agboola (Deputy Director (ICT) - were working with the APC and Fayemi to rig the election.
Fayose also accused the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) of reassigning the security aides of Fayemi to Ekiti state for the purpose of rigging the just concluded election.
Counsels to the commissioner, however, said the allegations were “scurrilous falsehood” and have had negative effect on their client’s life generally.
Zakari, commenting on the issue, said that the governor is “a Christian and a family man first before being a politician or governor of Ekiti state.
“You cannot possibly think it excusable on any grounds, other than deliberate viciousness, that a governor of a state can legitimately descend to labelling a mother, wife and sister of his fellow beings, a criminal of such astounding magnitude.
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“What makes it worse than defamation is the incredible injurious falsehood you inflicted on our client, in her work and public service. Zakari has been inundated with calls from family, friends and colleagues worldwide."
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti state had been arrested by the police for allegedly being in the possession of ballot papers that have already been thumb printed in favour of the PDP.
The governorship election in Ekiti state was fixed for Saturday, July 14, 2018 while the suspects were reportedly arrested with the ballot papers on Wednesday, July 11.
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Source: Legit.ng
