By wole mosadomi
Minna — Resident Electoral
Commissioner in Niger State, Dr.
Emmanuel Onucheyo, has
revealed that Alhaji Muhammadu
Abubakar Bello Masaba, the
octogenarian with about 5,000
familiy members had officially
written to Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, earlier
before the commencement of the
registration exercise of the need
to create a new voting unit for
him.
However, the REC noted that
“ since creation of additional units
is a constitutional matter, there is
nothing I can do to satisfy his
demand. ”
Disefranchised till 2015
He exonerated the Commission
from the denial of more than 80
wives of the controversial
octogenarian man from Bida in
Niger State, from registering in the
just concluded voters ’ registration
exercise.
Besides the over 80 of his wives
who were not registered, another
batch of about 4,000 including
his children and other
dependants did not register in
Bida.
The commissioner in an interview
with journalists in Minna, said
though it was wrong for
members of the community to
have denied him or any eligible
voter from registering, those
disenfranchised would have to
wait till 2015 before they can vote
again.
He said since they were unable to
be captured in the just concluded
registration exercise, they would
not have the right to vote in the
April general elections.
‘INEC not aware of fight’
Dr. Onucheyo explained that
while the fracas between the
family members of the
octogenarian was going on over
the registration in Bida, weekend,
the commission was not
informed, thereby making it
difficult for it to intervene.
Dr. Onucheyo said since
registration was a continuous
exercise, those unable to be
registered should wait till after the
elections and be registered and
would be eligible to vote in the
future elections.
It would be called that last
Saturday in Bida town, no fewer
than eighty wives of the over
80yrs old man, Alhaji Masaba, his
children and some members of
his family were disallowed from
being registered at the Masaba
“ A” ward.
Besides being disallowed to
register, they were also attacked
by some hoodlum, at the
registration centre.
Our correspondent reliably
gathered that dangerous
weapons were freely used by the
hoodlums during the attack
which led to scores of people
from the two warring parties
seriously wounded.
It was however gathered that the
octogenarian and some of his
wives have successfully
registered at the same polling unit
on Friday before the other wives
and his other relatives were
denied their rights by the
hoodlums the second day.
Meanwhile, the legal Adviser to
the octogenarian Barrister
Mohammed Jibrin has
condemned the assault on
members of the Masaba family
and accused the police of
negligence pointing out that the
attach was in the presence of the
police who refused to take action.
He has threatened to take a legal
action against the Area
Commander of the police.
Barrister Jibrin confirmed that no
fewer than 20 members of
Masaba family were seriously
injured during the free for all
fight.