Imo polls fall-out: INEC suspends staff, drags others to court

Posted by admin Headlines, Imo, INEC Politics, State News Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Some staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, serving in Imo State have been suspended from office and others charged to court for alleged complicity in the political stalemate in the state.

The supervisory Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Imo State, Aniedi Abasi Ikoiwak, who disclosed this Thursday in Owerri while briefing the press, however, resisted the temptation of rolling out the names of the affected INEC staff.

“We have thoroughly examined all INEC staff in respect of the conduct of past elections in the state and those found wanting have been suspended and some others charged to court,” Ikoiwak said.

According to him, INEC has discovered that almost everybody in Imo State now claims to be an observer. He added that as a result of this startling discovery, the Commission had introduced a fresh revalidation of accreditation of observers.

Warning that any fake observer caught would be commensurately punished, Ikoiwak also disclosed that 90 per cent of the people that would handle the supplementary polls, including collation officers, will come from outside the state.

“INEC staff have been brought from six states and they will go to the affected local government areas and if we discover any funny or strange conduct from any of them, we will act accordingly,” Ikoiwak said.

Continuing, the REC said that four electoral officers appointed from different states have been posted to the affected four local council areas, adding that there will be total restriction of movement with effect from 10pm Thursday.

“We are poised to live up to expectation. We are not interested in who wins or lose but to ensure that the exercise is credible and transparent. Results will be announced after all electoral formalities had been concluded”, the REC said.

He further revealed that each REC will superintend over a local government area, in addition to other senior personnel who will also be part of the arrangement.

Answering a question, Ikoiwak said: “Our job is to midwife the process by ensuring that the rules are observed correctly. We have installed the necessary mechanism to distinguish between an observer, a political leader and a thug”.

-Vanguardwp_posts