Coalition Group urges President Buhari, IGP to save INEC Staff Chidiebere Eze

The Coalition United Political Parties (CUPP) group is urging the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Usman Alkali Baba and President Buhari to save and ensure the freedom of the INEC staff, Chidiebere Eze from over three weeks of secret illegal detention.

The group made the statement after alleging that the INEC staff, who has been held in illegal secret detention by Imo DSS was moved last night based on alleged pressure from Imo APC governemt to Imo Police Command after the opposition parties exposed the illegal detention.

The group stated that “the opposition is aware of an 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 detention to cover the compromise of the voters’ register which is a criminal offense.

“An offense 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,” CUPP added.

According to the Spokesman of CUPP, Ikenga Ugochinyere, it is not a secret document or official secret covered under section 97 of the Criminal Code.

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 him 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 be dragged into any plot to rig 2023 general election which can throw Nigeria into electoral crisis.

He urged the IGP to show the readiness of the Police to be truly independent with honour by releasing the INEC staff and block the plan to turn the police into APC detention center.

S.O