RIVERS RERUN: 28 INEC officials to be jailed if…

Indications emerged Thursday that 28 officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may face various jail terms if a guilty sentence is returned against them as soon as the Nigerian Police presses charges in the law courts.

INEC Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Solomon Soyebi, served notice of the fate that may befall the staff during a press briefing on the report of the Prof. Okechukwu Ibeano’s panel on the Rivers rerun election in Abuja

Soyebi said that the Commission was set to prosecute 28 of its staff who were indicted by the report of the Joint Police/DSS Special Investigation Panel on the Rivers State rerun elections of December 10, 2017.

The Ibeano panel had indicted the 28 officials for allegedly collecting N111.3m which were physically displayed for public viewing about two weeks ago.

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Addressing the press, Soyebi said, “The commission received the report of the Joint Police/DSS Special Investigation Panel on the Rivers State rerun elections of December 10, 2016. From the report, we gathered that the police have concluded their investigations and the 25 INEC (members of ) staff who were indicted will be prosecuted.

“The commission has resolved to fully cooperate with the police in this process. In addition and without prejudice to their prosecution, the indicted INEC (members of) staff will also face the commission’s internal disciplinary process. The commission wishes to reiterate very clearly that it will not shield any of its (member of) staff that engages in any conduct that will undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”

He added, “The commission also considered the Report of its Administrative Inquiry into the December 10, 2016, Rivers State rerun elections and accepted its recommendations that all the 28 indicted (members of) staff should face internal disciplinary action for gross misconduct, dereliction of duty and negligence.”

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