DSS Grills Top INEC Official Over Postponed Election

The Department of State Services (DSS) will today grill the national commissioner for logistics of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Okechukwu Ibeanu, over the postponement of the last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

DSS, according to reports, has asked Ibeanu to submit himself at their headquarters in Abuja by 2 pm today (Tuesday) to explain the role he played leading to suspension of the February 16 elections less than six hours to voting time.

Ibeanu’s invitation came after INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, blamed the elections postponement on logistical challenges.

It was gathered that the agency also invited all members of INEC ad hoc committee on logistics for the 2019 elections, except for its Chairman, Rt. retired air vice marshal Ahmad Mu’azu.

Members of the committee include INEC national commissioners, Abubakar Nahuche and Mohammed Haruna, as well as some operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps, among others.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari, at a caucus meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), described the Professor Yakubu-led INEC as incompetent.

President Buhari said the electoral commission must explain its incompetence to Nigerians after its conduct of the 2019 general elections.

“Definitely, the reasons why certain incompetence manifested itself have to be explained to the nation. After the election, we have to know exactly what happened, and who is responsible; otherwise our efforts to make sure that this system that we voluntarily accept, is not making progress. What is the use if we accept incompetence?” the President queried.