- INEC has written to the presidency for
further action on six of its former
personnel involved in alleged N23 billion
election bribe
- The commission has ordered a thorough
investigation into the allegations to
establish the culpability or otherwise of
those named in the EFCC report
- INEC reiterates its commitment to
defending integrity of the electoral process
The Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, April
11, disclosed that it has written the
presidency for further action on six of
its former personnel involved in alleged
N23 billion election bribe.
They include one of its retired National
Commissioner, and five Resident
Electoral Commissioners.
This was disclosed by Mohammed
Haruna, INEC’s national commissioner
to newsmen in Abuja, NAN reports.
INEC writes Buhari over N23 billion ‘bribe’ to
RECs
According to Haruna, who is also a
member, Information and Voter
Education Committee, INEC had also
blacklisted and deleted a Non-
Governmental Organisation (NGO), West
African Network of Election Observers
(WANEO) found to be involved in the
alleged bribery.

Mr. Haruna said that in furtherance of
INEC’s zero tolerance for corruption in
the electoral process, the Commission
ordered a thorough investigation into
the allegations to establish the
culpability or otherwise of those named
in the EFCC report.
He said the committee issued queries to
the 202 staff mentioned in the report,
and interviewed them individually in
accordance with the principle of fair
hearing and in consonance with INEC
Staff Conditions of Service.
Some of INEC staff accused of receiving N23
billion bribe appear in court
His words: “As a result of initial findings
of the committee, an additional 80
serving officials of the Commission, who
were not named in the EFCC report but
whose names came up in the course of
the investigation were also queried and
interviewed.
“Among other things, the committee
found that there was a clear attempt to
bribe INEC staff to influence the outcome
of the 2015 general elections using
WANEO, made up of mainly retired
senior INEC officials.
“It was also found out that of over N23
billion, which the EFCC report said was
used to influence the elections, the
committee established that N3.05 million
was received by INEC staff in 16 states.’’


Mr. Haruna noted that in reaching its
decision on the findings of the
committee, INEC adhered strictly to the
INEC Staff Conditions of Service and
arrived on some decisions.
Some of the decisions he said was that
INEC had blacklisted the NGO and also
delisted it from accredited observers of
elections in Nigeria.
He said: “In the cases of one former
National Commissioner, five former
Resident Electoral Commissioners (one of
them deceased), have been referred to the
Presidency and EFCC for further
necessary action.
“Based on their level of involvement, 205
serving INEC staff will be immediately
placed on interdiction, which entails
suspension from duties and being placed
on half salary, pending the final
determination of the cases they have
with the EFCC.
“About 70 out of the 282 officials will be
referred back to EFCC for further
investigation and possible prosecution as
there was insufficient information
regarding their involvement.’’
He reiterated the commission’s
commitment to defending integrity of
the electoral process.
“The commission will continue to take
stern action against its officials who
compromise its core values of integrity,
transparency and impartiality in the
conduct of elections.’’
Earlier, NAIJ.com had reported that INEC
in late 2016 received an interim report
from the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) detailing
allegations against 202 serving and
retired INEC officials and staff in 16
states of the Federation.
In the video below, INEC officials indicted
for bribery and corruption during the River
state rerun elections were arraigned at th