ALLEGED MANIPULATION OF EKITI ELECTION: INEC chief, Zakari, demands apology from Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Chief Ayodele Fayose

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”.