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General News of Wednesday, 16 September 2020

Source: thenationonlineng.net

2019 polls: INEC to arraign three lecturers for ‘electoral malpractices’

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has filed a suit against three university lecturers in Akwa Ibom for alleged malpractices during the 2019 general elections.

The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, stated this yesterday while addressing reporters at the commission’s headquarters in Uyo, the state capital.

Igini also said three workers of the commission’s ICT unit had been sacked for their involvement in electoral malpractices.

The REC said the commission had to take the action due to the unsustainable belief by some persons that INEC does not sanction anybody for electoral malpractices.

He said: “We must have an institution that has the integrity to protect the will of the people in any election. This will serve as a lesson and a clear message to those who will be engaged in INEC job in future in this state, particularly those playing the role of supervising presiding officers as a very important link, as the last set of people in charge of election materials, particularly the ballot papers and result sheets.”

Igini regretted that, despite the training given to the electoral officers and INEC’s workers, they manipulated and falsified election results, thereby producing outcomes that were contrary to the people’s will.

“The lecturers, who were engaged as Collation and Returning Officers during the 2019 general elections, were reported to have manipulated and falsified election results aimed at producing outcomes contrary to the will of the people as expressed through the ballot.”