By Ibe Pascal
The Nigerian Opposition, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has alleged that INEC staff, chidiebere eze who has been held in illegal secret detention by Imo DSS was moved last night based on alleged pressure from Imo APC govt to Imo Police Command after the opposition parties exposed the illegal detention.
This was contained in a statement by Ugochinyere Ikenga, CUPP spokesperson on Saturday.
It reads, “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, calling 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 OPPOSITION IS AWARE OF ALLEGED PLAN BY IMO POLICE COMMAND, BASED ON PRESSURE FROM THE STATE GOVT AND WANTS TO FILE TRUMP-UP CHARGES AGAINST HIM TO HELP KEEP HIM IN ETERNAL DETENTION TO COVER THE COMPROMISE OF THE VOTERS’ REGISTER WHICH IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE FOR WHICH THE CULPRITS ARE STILL MOVING ABOUT FREELY.
“THE PLOT TO CHARGE CHIDIBERE IS DEAD ON ARRIVAL AS THE VOTERS’ REGISTER IS A PUBLICLY 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 Opposition called on the Police IG not to allow the Nigerian Police dragged into APC plot to rig 2023 general election which can throw Nigeria into electoral crisis, urging the IGP to show the readiness of the Police to be truly independent and police with honour by releasing the INEC staff and block the plan to turn the police into APC detention center.
