The Independent National Electoral Commissioner, INEC, National
Commissioner in charge of Election Operations and Logistics, Mrs. Amina
Bala Zakari, has demanded an apology from Governor Ayodele Fayose over
allegation that she compromise in the Ekiti election.
Governor Fayose had alleged that she has been hired by the candidate of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded governorship
election in Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to manipulate the poll.
He equally alleged that Zakari with three other Directors of INEC, had
been hired by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in
the just concluded governorship election in Ekiti State, Dr Kayode
Fayemi, to manipulate the poll.
Zakari, in the letter she wrote though her lawyer, Ubong Esop Akpan,
demanded the apology to be made in all the national newspapers in the
country within 48 hours of receiving the letter.
The letter, titled, scurrilous statements against the intergrity,
person, and public service of Mrs Amina Bala Zakari, also demanded that
the governor should immediately cease from further scurrilous
publications and press statements on the INEC National Commissioner.
The letter quoted Fayose as alleging that the INEC top official and her
colleagues were planning, ahead of the election, to pre-load card
readers, supply faulty card readers and provide ballot papers for
stuffing of ballot boxes and to substitute presiding officers with APC
members.
They were also alleged to have produce two sets of electoral forms
bearing the same serial numbers and give Fayemi copies of election
forms to change results of 503 polling units, among others.
Zakari lawyer said that the allegations imputed that Zakari and her
colleagues were effectively members of the APC in a contest in which
they must, by law, be non-partisan.
“Your above assertions can only mean that our client is a fraudster, a
criminal, a person of no or negligible moral fibre, a bribe taker and
an unworthy public servant”.
Disputing the allegations, the letter said, “As INEC Commissioner in
charge of Election Operations and Logistics, she has always carried out
her assignments with high sense of integrity and incorruptibility, a
situation that has pitched her against unscrupulous politicians”.
Source: VANGUARD