Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The last is yet to be heard about the investigation into the conduct of the general elections in Bayelsa State as more heads are set to roll over alleged involvement of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials in illegal acts.
Governor Seriake Dickson had insisted that top officials of INEC in the state, led by the Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Monday Udoh, aided the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perpetrate electoral fraud in certain areas of the state, leaders of the APC have also accused officials of the commission of conniving with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to collate results in unauthorised venues to deny APC agents to collation centres.
Already, the Administrative Secretary in INEC Bayelsa office, Lebari Nduh, was suddenly redeployed to the training department at the commission head office without any cogent reasons.
Investigations, however, revealed that the redeployment of Nduh has to do with petitions filed by both the PDP and APC against some INEC officials for alleged misconduct during the general election while compiling names of electoral officers and collation of results.
A police team from the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) is said to be on matter investigating a case of electoral fraud, altering of documents, and release of fake security report so as to jeopardise evidence at the ongoing sitting of the election petitions tribunal.
INEC is also said to be ready to conduct internal disciplinary measures against its officials indicted in Bayelsa for gross misconduct, misinformation through a non-existent situation report and fraud.
Head of Department Voter Education/Publicity, INEC office, Bayelsa, Wilfred Ifogah, in a statement while denying that Udoh and some INEC staff were arrested, however, confirmed that “officers from the Nigerian Police were around to get clarifications from REC and some staff.”
Meanwhile, an aide to Governor Seriake Dickson, Joseph Akeduso, has distanced himself from joining the Bayelsa governorship race.
Akedesuo, the director of Protocol to Dickson in a statement by his media assistant, Robinson Ere, said he is committed to his job and has not declared any intention to be governor.
“We wish to state categorically that Akedesuo has never declared such intention to join the Bayelsa governorship race for the elections slated by INEC to hold on November 16 because he is too busy working to bequeath an enduring legacy for Dickson’s restoration government and cannot even campaign as others are doing presently,” Ere said.