INEC reacts to viral video as hoodlums beat, strip commissioner naked in Adamawa

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The Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) has urged the security agencies to arrest and prosecute those who brutalized one of its national commissioners deployed to Adamawa State for Saturday’s supplementary governorship poll.

This comes after the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Aishatu Dahiru, popularly known as Binani in a controversial manner declared the winner of the election halfway into the collation by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yunusu Ari.

INEC swiftly responded in a statement saying the declaration was null and void.

Moments after the declaration, some miscreants were said to have swooped on an INEC commissioner who was mistaken for the REC.

Okoye while condemning the attack explained that its staff, a former Vice Chancellor of Usman Dan Fodio University, was brutally beaten.

Okoye stressed that the action would not stand, calling on security agencies to fish out perpetrators.

He said, “If you see what is trending, two national commissioners were deployed to Adamawa State. One of them was brutalised, 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, they must be investigated and they must be prosecuted. A national commissioner cannot be treated as if he or she is a common criminal.

“A former Vice Chancellor of Usman Dan Fodio University, a senior citizen was stripped naked and dragged. This commission will not allow that to stand.”

Okoye also said the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa, Yunusa Ari, has arrived Abuja over an invalid declaration of Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the governorship election.

He said, “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Adamawa State exercises what we call delegated authority; power delegated to him by the Independent National Electoral Commissioner.

“Acting as collation and returning officer are not part of the powers delegated to him. So, he has no right whatsoever to make a declaration and make a return.”

Okoye also said the collation of results of the supplementary election has been suspended.