The Indepedent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally suspended 205 personnel for allegedly receiving part of the N23bn “disbursed” by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to rig the 2015 general elections.
A National Commissioner and member of Information and Voter Education Committee at INEC, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, who briefed journalists after a meeting of the leadership on Tuesday, said the commission also decided to place the 205 affected officials on half salaries in accordance with the terms and conditions of service of the commission.
Mallam Haruna said the commission had referred the cases of a former National Commissioner and five former Resident Electoral Commissioners (one late) to the Presidency and EFCC for further action and investigation.
According to him, the decision to refer the national commissioner and the RECs to the Presidency and the EFCC was because it was not within the powers of the commission to deal with the cases involving them.
The commission had placed 202 inducted staff of the commission on suspension and half salary for allegedly receiving part of the N23bn alleged bribe.
He stated also that the committee was able to establish that INEC staff received N3,046,829,000 in 16 states of the federation to influence the outcome of the election.
“There was a clear attempt to bribe INEC staff to influence outcome of the 2015 general elections using an NGO, West African Network of Election Observers, made up mainly of retired senior INEC officials.
“Out of over N23bn, which EFCC report said was used to influence the elections, the committee established that N3,046,829,000 was received by INEC staff in 16 states,” he added.
The NGO involved in the scandal had been barred from all INEC activities.
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