Officers of the Nigerian police force have arrested three Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff for allegedly conspiring with a parish priest of St Briggs Catholic Church, Surulere, Lagos, to create an illegal permanent voter’s card registration unit in the church auditorium for members.
The INEC staff identified as Mrs Rita, Mr Ikechukwu Izuchukwu and Miss Agbokhna Ebigun, were arrested following a complaint by the Chairman, Residents Association, Raji Azeem, to the police about ploys by the church to disenfranchise some members of the public.
According to Tribune, he said;
“The INEC registration officers, according to INEC provision should be stationed at 9A, Imam Thanni but this was not to be.
We have been here awaiting their arrival but when we discovered that they were not forthcoming, we were worried.”
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He continued;
“Only for us to discover that they have been camped at the St Briggs Catholic Church auditorium on the influence of the parish priest registering only members of the church while we were in the queue waiting. It was a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise us.
The House 9A Imam Thanni registration centre has remained a constant polling unit since 1983.
But the priest decided to play the religious cards by inducing the electoral officers to register only his church members.”
In conclusion, he added;
“The church members have been around since 5 am but we were unaware of their plan until we busted them in action and handed them over to the police at the Ijeshatedo police station.
The arrested INEC officers were granted bail by the IPO, Inspector Shola so that they can continue with the registration.
He instructed them to return after the exercise and that they should discontinue the exercise at the church hall and move to the venue approved by INEC.”
