Chukwudi Nweje
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Mike Igini has refuted the allegations that he met with Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki to devise how to subvert the outcome of the September 19 governorship election in Edo State.
Igini said he has not met with Gov Obaseki since he was sworn into office, even as he was in Lagos and not Benin-City the day the purported meeting with Obaseki held on August 27.
He made the clarification in a statement titled: Press Conference on Governor Godwin Obaseki‘s Criminal Attempt to Infiltrate INEC and Rig Edo Election through Bribed INEC Officers like Mr Mike lgini.’
The statement read, “For the second time within a week, my name has been needlessly and maliciously dragged into a political group’s statement on the Edo election. The statement falsely and erroneously claimed that l was in Benin on Thursday, 27th August 2020. Contrary to that misleading claim, on the said date, I was in Lagos State, hence I find it very mischievous that those who made this cruel allegation now attribute the spiritual ability to be in two locations at the same time to my person.
“Secondly, let me state without any shadow of doubt to those characters, who made these atrocious allegation that I had meetings with political actors where anti-democratic schemes were discussed that I have not met Gov. Obaseki since he was sworn into office up until the moment of the press statement in contention. Given that l was not in Benin on the said day, 27th August but in Lagos, the said meeting is unquestionably a mere figment of the imagination of those who made these allegations.
“Evidently, those who made up the concocted story do not know me. If they do, certainly they will never attribute these anti-democratic sacrilege to my person. For the avoidance of doubt and to disabuse the minds of respected Edo citizens and voters, I urge everyone to disregard these lies and innuendoes. l have never and will never be part of any scheme to rob voters of the right to choose their elected representatives.
“At a time when the journey of this country and the prospect of democracy was less certain, we fought and risked our lives for this democracy, where were the likes of these two unknown characters called John Mayaki and Retired. Col. lmuse? l have never been at the back but at the forefront of electoral reforms to ensure that citizens‘ rights and access to ballots as the best means of the expression of the will of the people are strengthened and will never be part of any design to debase them.
“My entire public service has been an open book. I urge those who harbour any doubt to visit the public records and review the results of Elections conducted under my watch as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo, Cross River, lmo. Anambra and Akwa lbom State Under my stewardwardship, every vote counted and taken into account and every voter’s right was preserved. Rather than engage in these campaigns of character assassination by stepping out of the boundaries of decency that has now landed these two characters in the pool of litigation for libel where they are swimming at the moment dangerously, I urge the political groups to concentrate on purveying policies that will endear them to the electorate and stop relying on how to undermine and discredit the institutional pillars of democracy upon which the legitimacy of their election will repose”, the statement said.