4 INEC workers arraigned for allegedly tampering with ballots

Posted by admin INEC Politics, Latest Politics Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Four staff members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti State, on Wednesday, appeared before an Ado Ekiti Magistrate’s court on charges of alleged tampering with ballot papers used in the last general election in Ekiti East Local Government Area.

The four accused, out of the seven that were arrested by the police in Omuo, headquarters of Ekiti East Local Government Area of the state on June 23, were Ojo Oluwafemi, 25; Ajayi Gbenga, 42; Oni Babajide, 37 and Olusola Oladapo, 41.

They were said to have committed “conspiracy to wit, to alter ballot papers used in the April, 2011 House of Assembly election in Ekiti East Constituency II.”

They are facing a nine-count charge ranging from misdemeanour, multiple thumbprinting of counted votes and bribery, among others, in the suit with number MAD/405c/2011.

They accused were also alleged to have corruptly received N180, 000.00 from one Anthonia Omonusi, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for Ekiti East 11 constituency, in the election to procure her return to the state House of Assembly in a fraudulent manner.

The charge sheet read in part: “That you Olusola Oladapo, a staff of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) sometimes in May 2011 in Ado-Ekiti in the aforementioned magisterial district corruptly receive the sum of N180,000.00 from Anthonia Omonusi of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to procure her return to the Ekiti State House of Assembly.”

-Tribunewp_posts