Money For Voters’ Card In Ondo State: INEC Accused Of Complicity
Mr Olaolu Oladapo, the chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), who was arrested by the Nigerian police for possessing over 1000 voters’ card has confessed that the cards were sold to him by the top officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo State. Oladapo who was arrested alongside his wife made the revelation to the security operatives in Akure, Ondo State capital. INEC had been accused by the opposition parties of conniving with the ruling government of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party to rig the forth coming election.
But in an attempt to clear the air on the controversy, the embattled Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Ondo State, Akin Orebiyii, who had earlier denied the involvement of the officers of INEC in the scandal admitted that voters cards were actually sold to some politicians by a junior staff of the commission.
In a statement made available to Nigerianecho, Orebiyii admitted that a staff of INEC, whose name he didn’t mention, was involved in the malpractice. He however assured the support and cooperation of the INEC in making sure such an occurrence will not happen again.
The statement reads “The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to the arrest of a man with over a thousand voters’ cards issued by the commission purportedly given to him by a junior staff engaged as a security man by the commission, who has been arrested by the police. Preliminary investigation by the Commission indicates that some people did not collect their voters’ cards after the registration exercise of 2011. The unclaimed cards are in the custody of the Electoral Officers, who are the duly authorized officials to release same to the claimants of such cards, who must collect them in person.
“The Commission is determined to get to the bottom of this matter and is working closely with the Police Authorities to unravel it. it is its intention to vigorously pursue the investigation and ensure a robust, timeous prosecution of all involved, including its staff, in consonance with its resolve to prosecute all electoral offenders, regardless of their status, party affiliation or relationships.” The statement added.
Orebiyii, while commending the Nigerian police for a job well done in apprehending the perpetrators of the acts, reiterated that voters cards that have been procured by desperate politicians in a bid to rig the October 20th election will not be accepted on the election day.
A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Nigerianecho that the REC is inconsistent. He said “In one breadth, the INEC said the person arrested was not the staff of the commission, and in another, they are telling us he is a junior staff. They are definitely hiding something and we shall resist any attempt by the electoral umpire to favour a particular party.”
On October 20th, the people of Ondo State will elect who will be the governor of that State for the next four years. The incumbent Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of the labour party, Chief Olusola Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Rotimi Akereledou (SAN) of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) are the contestants in the gubernatorial election which will determine the direction of the political colouration in Yoruba land. ACN which controls the other five States of Yoruba land as well as Edo State is leaving no stone unturned to add Ondo State to its expanding ” political colony”.
