Professor Ike Uzochukwu, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Abia State, expressed concern about alleged threats against him.
During the election, Uzochukwu, who presided over the state and national presidential elections, went into hiding.
After the February 26 election, Uzochukwu was apparently absent from the INEC offices in Umuahia to collect the results. His absence lasted for a long time until an administrative secretary, Clément Oha, who said he had just been dispatched to Abia, said he had been asked to take over after the absence. of RECs.
Vanguard reports that Uzochukwu on Tuesday, March 7, revealed his whereabouts. In a statement released, Uzochukwu stated that he had been kidnapped and detained by security authorities for an offense that has not been disclosed to him. He also alleges that his security details were taken down and that his police officer was arrested. He went on to say that his life is “in grave danger right now”.
Professor Uzochukwu, who has accused the administrative secretary of usurping power in his office, said the results of the presidential and parliamentary elections were compiled in his absence (REC).
He further questioned the reliability of some published results, saying that some candidates elected in the election may not be the real winners because the aggregation of results does not correspond. with new electoral laws and INEC guidelines.
On how it happened, Uzochukwu said:-
“The duty post of the REC was the incident room. I was there throughout Saturday, 25th February 2023 and up until around 2 am on Sunday, 26th February 2023. On Sunday, 26th February 2023, before the elections ended, at about 13:00pm, I was abducted and placed under forceful detention and false imprisonment by the Abia State Department of State Services (DSS) and Police.
I was forced out of the hotel room as he was about to return to the INEC state office (after working all Saturday, February 25, 2023, until about 5 a.m. on Sunday, February 26, 2023) by the officials of the Abia State Department of Services and the Abia State Police.
I was detained by them without a warrant, along with my Personal Assistant (PA). DSS and Police details related to me are also removed from me and Police details are also retained. After being released on bail by the Abia State Police at around 5 pm on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, I promptly emailed the Chairman of the Commission (INEC) expressing my surprise at the actions of the DSS and the police. close to me.
I have yet to be notified of my violation. I was deprived of important information contained in my personal laptop, official files, and other personal items, all in the possession of the Abia State Police.
I had to go to the hospital on Thursday 2nd March 2023 for an examination due to the injury and unhealthy environment in which I was detained by both the DSS and the Abia State Police. My life is in serious danger as I move around without any security details.
Uzochukwu called for a review of several National Assembly elections, questioning their reliability.
“Since my abduction and hence absence, election results announced in some zones may not have met the minimum requirements as stipulated by the Electoral Act, 2022. Some declared winner(s) may not be the genuine winner(s) in some of those elections. I hereby request for the review of the results in consonance with section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022, which empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the result(s) declared by the Returning Officer (RO) within one week after, if the declaration declared by a Returning Officer is contrary to the provisions of the law, regulations and guidelines, and manual for the elections. The collations and returning of winners were done in my absence (Resident Electoral Commissioner) while the Administrative Secretary usurped and assumed my position.
