The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, has vowed to support the panel set up by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim, to investigate the violence that rocked December 10, 2016 rerun election in Rivers State.
Yakubu made the promise while receiving the Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel on Rivers rerun, Mr. Daniel Okoro, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, and members of the panel in his office in Abuja on Wednesday.
The INEC’s Chairman said the commission had a responsibility to provide the necessary support to the Special Investigation panel to do its work as the commission could only conduct peaceful and credible elections with the support of the security agencies.
Yakubu recalled that the commission had also constituted an administrative panel to review the activities of its personnel and to punish those found culpable.
He said, “As I have said on several occasions, the work of the commission cannot be complete without security. INEC has a responsibility to effectively conduct elections and elections can only be conducted with security.
“As was said by the Chairman of the panel, the membership of the panel also involves the State Security Service. We are very happy with this development.
“On our own in this commission, we have also set up an administrative review panel to look into what transpired in Rivers so that where our staff are found to be culpable, we deal with the situation. We have conscientious staff in the commission.
“We must support in full this kind of assignment with gladness and see how it goes forward. And any time we want to conduct elections, the security agencies are always there to provide the enabling environment for us to smoothly conduct the elections.
“On behalf of the commission, I want to fully assure you that we will now and for ever cooperate with you in your investigation. Be rest assured that the commission will provide what is required to carry out your investigation.”
Source: punch
