Posted by By FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE, Abuja on
Ever since list of candidates to contest various offices in next month's general elections were released, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Maurice Iwu and commissioners of the electoral body have been inundated with death treats.
Ever since list of candidates to contest various offices in next month's general elections were released, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Maurice Iwu and commissioners of the electoral body have been inundated with death treats.
Confirming this, the Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr. Andy Ezeani, said that the lives of Prof Iwu and INEC commissioners were under serious threats from faceless persons and groups.
Said he: 'If the chairman should let you into his phone text message box, you will marvel at the height of threats to life messages he has received. I don't know why people are just being fetish. Even at my own level, you can't imagine the number of threat calls I have received and they wouldn't tell you what your offence is."
Ezeani, however, said that the INEC chairman and commissioners had not reported to the police, as death threats to them had become a pastime.
He, however, maintained that the INEC boss remained unshaken as he is guided by his conscience that what he has been doing and would continue to do was in line with the laws of the land from where the commission derives its existence.
'Professor Iwu is not in any way deterred. He will continue to do everything possible to render not only free and fair elections but which would be seen as credible by all and sundry. We have known that in contests, those who lose out genuinely would still cry wolf. Therefore, we are ready to give Nigerians election next April," Ezeani said.
He denied the allegation that the INEC was being teleguided by the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that it was unfortunate that some people had gone to the ridiculous extent, when the INEC had shown that it is clearly unbiased and would, for no reasons, take side with anybody or group.
'We have been law abiding. We have obeyed all court orders since our activities are regulated by law. How can somebody say we are partisan? We will never be. This we have sworn not to do," he added.
The INEC last Thursday released the lists of the cleared presidential candidates and those of the National Assembly, with the name of Vice President Atiku Abubakar excluded.
This had sparked reactions from the vice president and the AC. Both Atiku and AC have gone court to challenge the INEC decision.