Intervene in the arrest of INEC Staff, Chidibere Eze, CUPP urges President Buhari, IGP

JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja 

President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police IGP Usman Alkali Baba have been urged to intervene quickly in the alleged illegal detection of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff, Chidibere Eze.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) made this call in Abuja at the weekend.

The CUPP, in a statement by its spokesman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, urged President Buhari and the IGP to save the credibility of the 2023 election by ordering the release of the INEC staff and go after those, who allegedly compromise Nigeria voters register.

The CUPP alleged that there is secret plot to move the INEC staff from the Imo state Department of State Secret (DSS) to police command.

“We are alerting the IGP, Usman Alkali Baba and President Buhari of this secret movement of INEC staff from Imo DSS to Imo Police command,” the CUPP said.

The opposition called on them to ensure his freedom and those behind voters’ register compromise arrested and the innocent INEC staff freed from over three weeks of secret illegal detention.

The CUPP said it’s aware of alleged plan based on pressure to file trump-up charges against the INEC staff to hold him in detection to cover the compromise of the voters’ register.

The opposition boasted that the plot to charge Chidibere is dead on arrival as the voters’ register is a public displayed document covered by Section 19 of the electoral act and not a secret document under Section 97 of the Criminal Code.

“The list of fresh registrants that participated in the INEC continuous voters registration has been displayed by INEC for people to make claims and objections in accordance with the law.

“It is not a secret document or official secret covered under section 97 of the Criminal Code, and the last-minute attempt to use the Police to detain the INEC staff moved from the DSS office in Imo in a bid to punish innocent INEC staff for the unknown source of leak of the compromise of the voters’ register is childish and provocative,” the CUPP said.

The opposition called on the Police boss not to allow the Nigerian Police be dragged into plot to rig 2023 general election which can throw Nigeria into electoral crisis.

It urged the IGP to show the readiness of the Police to be truly independent and police with honour by releasing the INEC staff.

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