Civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA), has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) one working week to publish the date for a by-election to replace the late Senator for Okigwe Senatorial zone or be ready to face a range of either civil protests at its headquarters in Abuja or multiple litigation to be instituted by the civil society community in Okigwe and the nation's capital.

It accused the electoral umpire of double standard whereby by-elections are not immediately conducted where there is a vacancy in the Southeast but once it is another zone in the North “the Northern-dominated INEC will very rapidly organise quick by-election to give the Northerners the opportunity to benefit from the commonwealth of Nigeria.”

HURIWA observed that Benjamin Uwajumogu was elected and inaugurated in May to represent Okigwe as the Senator representing Imo North Senatorial District, but he died in December 2019 which was confirmed to journalists outside the Senate chamber on Wednesday 17th December 2019 by the Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha.

It said: “He was said to have slumped while taking his bath and rushed to a private hospital in Apo, Abuja where he died. He had since been buried. Yet INEC treats Okigwe people as political orphans only because he is a hard core Northern apologist and an unrepentant Northern irredentist who hates Ndigbo with a deadly passion.

“The undue delay to conduct another election is another manifestation of the hatred of Ndigbo by the Yakubu Mahmood-led INEC. We are is by this statement demanding that within the next one week, that INEC should publish the date of the election so the constituency of Okigwe does not continue to be neglected by the Federal Government through a deliberate non-conduct of legitimate election.

“It appears the electoral commission is allowing the Imo State governor and the All Progressive Congress (APC) to complete their arguments and battles on whether a former Senator of Okigwe be allowed to contest or the wife or sister of the late Senator. There is no reason for this delay since the same INEC has already conducted other elections notably in the North such as in Katsina and Bauchi states and INEC is planning to go ahead with the Edo governorship poll. Why is Okigwe not been considered and why do we have to embark on civil protests before our human rights as citizens are upheld?”

HURIWA said the failure of INEC to conduct another election to enable the people of Okigwe Senatorial zone to elect their Senator is a gross violation of Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution.

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