The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Abia State, Professor Ike Uzochukwu, opened up on his ‘mysterious’ disappearance on Sunday, February 26, 2023, hours after the presidential and national assembly elections ended.
It has earlier been reported that the REC was nowhere to be found shortly after the presidential and National Assembly elections on saturday 25th Feburary 2023. The quagmire sitiation became an issue as journalists and ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, plus other stakeholders who had converged at the INEC headquarters Umuahia for the collation of results could not sight him at the collation centre.
Every inquiry about his route was fruitless as INEC officials remained prevaricating over the matter.
The quagmire and frustration lingered till about 5:00 pm when suddenly the Administrative Secretary, Clement Oha who said he was deployed newly to Abia, claimed he had been asked to take over following the absence of the REC.
But the REC who opened up in a report he made public yesterday, narrated how he was abducted and detained by security agencies for an offence yet to be disclosed to him.
The REC who also revealed that his security details were withdrawn and his Police orderly detained, cried out that his life “is now in grave danger.”
Professor Uzochukwu who accused the Administrative Secretary of usurping the powers of his office said that the results of the presidential and national assembly elections were collated in his (REC’s) absence.
He further queried the credibility of some of the results declared, saying that some of the candidates returned in the elections might not be the true winners as the collation of results did not tally with the New Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
On how it happened, the REC said: “The duty post of the REC was the incident room. I was there throughout Saturday, 25th February 2023 and up until around 2 am on Sunday, 26th February 2023.
“On Sunday, 26th February 2023, before the elections ended, at about 13:00pm, I was abducted and placed under forceful detention and false imprisonment by the Abia State Department of State Services (DSS) and Police.
“I was forced out of my hotel room while he was preparing to return back to the INEC State Office (having worked throughout Saturday, 25th February 2023 till about 5am of Sunday, 26th February 2023) by the officials of Abia State Department of State Services and Abia State Police.
“I was kept in their respective custody without warrant of arrest, with my Personal Assistant (PA).
“The DSS and Police details attached to me were also withdrawn from me and the Police details were detained.
” Having been released on bail by the Abia State Police on Tuesday, 28th February 2023 at about 5pm, I quickly sent an email to the Chairman of the Commission (INEC) expressing surprise at the DSS and Police actions against me.
” I am yet to be informed of my offence. I have been deprived of vital information contained in my personal laptop, official files and other personal items, all still being held by the Abia State
“I had to leave for the hospital on Thursday, 2nd March 2023 for a check-up due to the trauma and unhealthy environment I was subjected to both at the Abia State DSS and Police.
“My life is in grave danger as I now move without any security detail.”
The REC called for a review of some of the national assembly elections doubting their credibility.
“Since my abduction and hence absence, election results announced in some zones may not have met the minimum requirements as stipulated by the Electoral Act, 2022.
“Some declared winner(s) may not be the genuine winner(s) in some of those elections.
” I hereby request for the review of the results in consonance with section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022, which empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the result(s) declared by the
Returning Officer (RO) within one week after, if the declaration declared by a Returning Officer is contrary to the provisions of the law, regulations and guidelines, and manual for the elections.
“The collations and returning of winners were done in my absence (Resident Electoral Commissioner) while the Administrative Secretary usurped and assumed my position.
Professor Uzochukwu accused senior INEC staff of sabotaging the directives by the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu on the payment of Corp members engaged by the commission for election duties.
” I had the express directive of INEC, communicated directly to me by the National Commissioner overseeing Abia State (Barr Festus Okoye), to pay NYSC
corpers deployed for this election duty in cash for all items such as training allowances, feeding allowance etc.
“This directive was sabotaged by some INEC staff(Administrative Secretary, HODs of Finance and Operations).
“Thank you for granting me this opportunity (audi alteram partem), which is essential for justice, fairness, firmness and transparency. Let peace prevail in this process”, the REC submitted in the report.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO in charge of Abia, Geoffrey Ogbonna, said he would find out.
Responding, the DSS Director in charge of Abia State, Friday Onuche, said the allegation was unfounded.
His words:” Nothing like that happened. Will any abducted person have time to write all those rubbish? What kind of abduction is that?
” It’s unfounded. Do we abduct? Are we kidnappers? For what? Which political party do we belong to? Do you think we will do such a thing?
“All the security agencies have their role cut out for them in terms of election security. We protect personnel of INEC and materials. Why should we now abduct the people we are to protect? I’m not sure that’s what he meant”.
Meanwhile, there have been calls by some aggrieved contestants and their supporters for the cancellation of the National Assembly election in various zones and federal constituencies in Abia over alleged irregularities.
There have also been pockets of protests against the alleged manipulation of poll results.