The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has submitted the names of a retired National Commissioner and five Resident Electoral Officers, REC, to the Presidency over their involvement in an alleged N23 billion-election bribe. One of the REC is dead
According to a National Commissioner and member of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Malam Mohammed Haruna, Tuesday in Abuja, told journalists that the commission has also blacklisted and deleted a Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, from its accredited list of observers.
The NGO is West African Network of Election Observers (WANEO) made up of retired INEC officials. It was found to the conduit for the alleged bribery.
Updating journalists on the 2016 interim report from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detailing allegations against 202 serving and retired INEC officials and staff in 16 states of the Federation, Haruna said the queried the 202 staff mentioned in the report and interviewed them individually in accordance with the principle of fair hearing and in consonance with INEC Staff Conditions of Service.
He said: “As a result of initial findings of the committee, an additional 80 serving officials of the Commission, who were not named in the EFCC report but whose names came up in the course of the investigation were also queried and interviewed.
“Among other things, the committee found that there was a clear attempt to bribe INEC staff to influence the outcome of the 2015 general elections using WANEO, made up of mainly retired senior INEC officials.
“It was also found out that of over N23 billion, which the EFCC report said was used to influence the elections, the committee established that N3.05 million was received by INEC staff in 16 states.’’
“In the cases of one former National Commissioner, five former Resident Electoral Commissioners (one of them deceased), have been referred to the Presidency and EFCC for further necessary action.
“Based on their level of involvement, 205 serving INEC staff will be immediately placed on interdiction, which entails suspension from duties and being placed on half salary, pending the final determination of the cases they have with the EFCC.
“About 70 out of the 282 officials will be referred back to EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution as there was insufficient information regarding their involvement.
“The commission will continue to take stern action against its officials who compromise its core values of integrity, transparency and impartiality in the conduct of elections.’’
