INEC National Commissioner, Zakari, threatens to sue Fayose

A National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Amina Zakari, has issued a legal notice to the outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, demanding public apology to be published in national dailies within 48 hours.

Zakari claims that Fayose defamed her in his claim that she was colluding with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the Ekiti governorship poll.In a letter written by her lawyers, Ubong Akpan Chambers, Zakari said Fayose’s allegation that she was working with All Progressives Congress (APC) and Kayode Fayemi, has damaged her health, career and public reputation.

Giving particulars of the defamation, Zakari’s counsel said on July 2, Fayose had alleged that Zakari and four other INEC officials, Mr. Kenneth Ukeagu, Director of Procurement Department; Messrs Paschal Uwaenwe and Abdulrazaq Yusuf, both deputy directors in Information and Communications Technology Department; and Mr. Abdulrasak Agboola (Deputy Director (ICT) — were working with the APC and Fayemi to rig the election.He also accused the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) of reassigning the security aides of Fayemi to Ekiti State for the purpose of rigging the just concluded election.

In the suit titled, ‘Scurrilous statements against the integrity, person and public service of Mrs Amina Bala Zakari,’ and addressed to the governor, the INEC commissioner’s lawyers stated: “You (Fayose) are a Christian and a family man first before being a politician or governor of Ekiti State.

“You cannot possibly think it excusable on any grounds, other than deliberate viciousness, that a governor of a state can legitimately descend to labeling a mother, wife and sister of his fellow beings, a criminal of such astounding magnitude.

“What makes it worse than defamation is the incredible injurious falsehood you inflicted on our client, in her work and public service. Mrs. Zakari has been inundated with calls from family, friends and colleagues worldwide.”

Zakari therefore demanded a written apology by the governor to be published in all national newspapers within 48 hours and public retraction of all the allegations contained in all publications that earlier reported it.The suit further demanded from the governor, “public retraction of all the allegations contained in all the said publications in the same manner and format, in which the allegations were made.”