The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says it will invite Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, over allegations of hate speech during the general elections.
The commission also disclosed that it would also invite Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo over an alleged threat he issued against people of Igbo ethnic extraction in Lagos State.
MC Oluomo is the Lagos State Parks Management Committee chairman.
He was seen in a viral video, threatening to harm Igbo people living in Lagos if they voted against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state during the recent elections.
He has in a subsequent video clip which he shared via his social media platforms said that he was being jocular with a particular Igbo friend in the earlier footage.
On his part, Mr Bello was seen in a video clip where he appeared to have used some inciting words against his political opponents in Kogi.
But Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, has denied Mr Bello’s alleged hateful utterances.
Addressing journalists on Sunday in Abuja, NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, said Mr Yahaya and MC Oluomo would be invited to appear before an investigative panel of the commission over alleged inciting comments.
Mr Ojukwu said the briefing formed a preliminary report of the NHRC election observers on the 18 March governorship and state parliamentary elections.
NHRC deployed 600 election observers
Mr Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), disclosed that NHRC deployed 600 staff members as ‘human rights monitors’ across the 36 states for the governorship and House of Assembly elections.
The deployment he noted was part of the commission’s mandate “to promote and protect human rights.”
Mr Ojukwu said the commission during the elections, monitored among others, issues relating to the conduct of law enforcement and security personnel, hate speech, election-related Sexual and Gender-based violence (SGBV) and vote buying.
The NHRC boss said the hitches and irregularities witnessed during the 25 February elections and threats of violence caused voter apathy during the state polls.
“The overall report from our monitors showed that INEC officials and materials arrived relatively early across the country. Our field monitors reported that 7% of polling officials arrived between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. while 40% of the officials arrived between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.
“However, 4% of INEC officials came after 10:00 am, leading to delays in some polling units. Additionally, our monitors reported that voting materials arrived on time in most polling units, with 37% arriving between 7:00 am and 8:00 am and 40% arriving between 8:00 am and 9:00 am. 13% of materials arrived between 9:00 am and 10:00 am while 5% arrived after 10:00 a. m,” Mr Ojukwu said.
Calls on police to prosecute perpetrators of violence against journalists
The commission asked law enforcement agencies to investigate the attack on the ARISE News crew at Elegushi Palace in Lagos.
It urged the police to investigate and prosecute all perpetrators of violence during the elections.
The NHRC condemned the extra-judicial killing of thugs in Lagos, Katsina and Benue states as well as Labour Party agents in Lagos.
“All law enforcement and security agents in the remaining unconcluded ongoing elections should maintain political neutrality and impartiality in these election operations,” Mr Ojukwu advised.
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