The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has announced that it has concluded plans to invite Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and the Chairman of Lagos State Parks Management Committee, Musiliu Akinsanya, alias MC Oluomo, over their recent alleged inciting comments amid the general elections.
Africa Today News, New York had earlier reported that less than 24 hours ahead of the presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 25, Bello reportedly ordered bulldozers to demarcate a road linking Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The opposition alleged that the move was a ploy to prevent officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission from taking election materials to the stronghold of candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
On his part, MC Oluomo allegedly warned Igbo in Lagos to stay indoors if they would not vote for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the All Progressives Congress.
However, speaking during the presentation of NHRC preliminary report on the 2023 governorship and state Assembly elections, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu (SAN), said both Bello and MC Oluomo would be invited for interrogation.
He said, ‘We are monitoring the cyber space to track hate speeches and cyber bullying. Part of the sources of our information is the cyber space. We’ll invite MC Oluomo for questioning because his statement is worrisome. I listened to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State yesterday (Saturday) and he said they were investigating. But that will not stop the commission from carrying out its mandate. We will also invite the Kogi State governor for questioning over what happened in Kogi State.’
According to Ojukwu, the commission, as part of its mandate to promote and protect human rights, deployed 600 officials to monitor polls across the 36 states for the governorship and House of Assembly elections.
He said the preliminary report highlighted key findings by the commission’s officials deployed to monitor over 1,300 polling units across the country.