Director of Communication for the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Gabriel Osu on Monday slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its shoddy preparation and handling of the Anambra State governorship election on 16th November 2013, which resulted in cancellation of the exercise in 65 polling units amid calls for fresh election.
Mosignor Osu, who spoke in Lagos concerning the election, lamented that the election was characterised by bad management especially from INEC, which, coupled with the unpatriotic nature of politicians and the electorate, increased the depth of irregularities in the election.
Osu said he was not disappointed over the outcome of the election, as the country only lived to its billing and the views of other people about it that its citizens cannot manage themselves.
“I don’t know what it takes to conduct elections that [they] have become so difficult for us. We have the manpower; we have the capacity; we have voters but bad human management in the name of INEC, in the government, in the name of authority; that is what has played out”, he said.
“So we have lived to our billing that we cannot manage ourselves. I’m not a pessimist but we can’t. The rules are there but they don’t follow it with impunity: godfathers, authority that be. There is no magic wand; it’s the same story; we have enough guidelines but since we don’t believe in ourselves but we believe in impunity, that is what happens”.
Meanwhile, a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Monday ordered the remandment of an arrested INEC official for Idemili North in the election, Chukwujekwu Okeke in police custody till 2nd December 2013 to enable the Police conclude investigations.
The 54-year old accused was arraigned on a charge of negligence of duty. Handing out the order, Chief Magistrate, Mr Usman Shuaibu also said that the accused’s application for bail would be considered at the resumed hearing.
Prosecutor of the case, DSP Stanley Nwodo from the Force CID had told the court that the accused deliberately hoarded electoral materials for the exercise, thus breaching his official duties at Idemili, where he was deployed.
He added that the accused was facing a one-count charge of dereliction of duty contrary to Section 123 (1) (2) and (3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 and pleaded for two weeks for the Police to conclude its investigation into the case.
The accused pleaded not guilty. However, counsel to the accused, Daniel Nwogbodo, applied for his bail under Section 341 of the Criminal Procedures Code and Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), saying his client is a responsible senior civil servant and family man and thus, would not jump bail.
He also sought the bail for his client on health ground as, according to him, Okeke is suffering from high blood pressure
