The Obi-Datti Campaign Media office has berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for liking a tweet that tended to deride the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.
In a statement by Diran Onifade, Head, Media, Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, the party cast doubts on the neutrality of INEC stressing that “it’s not a hidden fact that in morality and law the election umpire, INEC, should not only be neutral, but must strive to prevent anything real or imagined to suggest otherwise”.
Acording to Onifade, “the Obi-Datti Media takes serious exception to INEC liking a post by a partisan person who has chosen a candidate to support.
“We expect the commission to explain to the concerned public who are looking up to them to be above board why they had to show such a level of obvious bias.
“Obi-Datti Media office notes that even if somebody in the Commission’s office wants to be biased, the law has denied them that because of the moral standards being expected of them.
“We expect INEC to come clean on this issue as it’s capable of eroding public confidence in the commission to conduct a free, fair, and transparent election.
“INEC should publicly apologize to the high-flying LP presidential standard bearer,” he said.
INEC launches probe into approval of the twit
Buffeted by allegations of partiality, the INEC on Wednesday, said it had launched investigation into how the anti-Peter Obi Twitter message came to be liked on its own official handle, threatening to sanction whoever was responsible.
A groundswell of shock beclouded Nigerians after the commission on Wednesday, when it emerged that INEC’s official Twitter account liked a post in which Seun Kuti, son of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, criticised Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), describing him as “an opportunist that can’t deliver Nigeria.”
Apparently scandalised by the situation, the commission, in a quick riposte, said it had no preferred candidate, adding that it had begun investigation into the matter and would take disciplinary actions if needed, against those involved, as its allegiance was to Nigeria and not any candidate in any election.
It said in a statement: “The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to a post on its Twitter handle, liking a post relating to one of the 18 Presidential candidates.
“The Commission is an independent electoral body and does not have preference for any candidate or political party. The Commission assures all Nigerians of its neutrality and will conduct a general election that is free and fair to all.
“The allegiance of the Commission is to the people of Nigeria.
“In the meantime, the Commission is investigating the circumstances that led to the liking of the said post and will take appropriate disciplinary actions if an infraction is established.”
