A civil rights organisation, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission, within which it should make available the statistics of female electoral officers, who were victims of rape and other gender-based violence during the 2019 general elections.
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The WARDC premised its demand on a press statement by INEC National Commissioner and chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye on Friday, March 1, 2019, wherein he stated that many of the commission’s electoral officials were subjected to threats, harassment, intimidation, assault, abduction and even rape.
The organisation’s ultimatum was contained in a letter to INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, signed by its Executive Director and gender activist, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, in line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.
The letter entitled: “Re: Request for Information on the allegation of rape and other gender-based violence against female electoral officers during the 2019 general elections”, was obtained by INEC press corps in Abuja on Monday.
She said, “WARDC, therefore, requests the commission to provide the information requested within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, failing which we will be compelled to take legal action under the FOI Act to compel you to comply with our request.
“WARDC is seriously concerned about the welfare of these women; consequently, we invoke Section 1 of the FoI Act to seek specific details on the details and information on the number of women who were allegedly raped and assaulted and subjected to ill-treatment and other serious human rights violations.
“WARDC believes that the INEC has a legal responsibility to ensure promotion and protection of the human rights of all its officers, including female officers and take proactive steps to prevent serious human rights violations against its officers while carrying out their official duties. Failing to publish details of the steps the commission is taking to address the alleged human rights crimes may lead to public perception of cover-up or failure of legal responsibility by the commission.”
Other demands included specific details and information regarding the alleged perpetrators of the human rights crimes and details and information regarding the steps taken by INEC to refer the allegations to the appropriate authorities in order to ensure that the allegations of rape and other human rights crimes perpetrated against some female officers of INEC were promptly, independently and impartiality investigated.
The WARDC also expressed interest in the actions taken by INEC to ensure that suspected perpetrators were brought to justice while “the victims have access to justice and effective remedies, including access to counselling and other forms of psycho-social support after the trauma they were exposed to while performing their duty as staff of the commission.”
The organisation also demanded specific details and information on the exact locations (states and local government areas) where the alleged rape and other forms of gender-based violence perpetrated on the INEC female electoral officers took place.
According to Akiyode-Afolabi, the WARDC also needed specific details and information on the steps being taken by INEC “to collaborate with appropriate agencies to ensure justice for the victims, guarantee non-repetition and to ensure protection of the human rights of all of its officers and staff members including the female officers.”
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