ELECTORAL MALPRACTICE 25 INEC OFFICIALS ARRESTED

Police in Imo State
yesterday arrested no fewer
than 25 ad hoc staff of the
Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC,
that participated in the
conduct of the supplementary
governorship and state
assembly election in the state
over alleged thumb printing
of ballot papers in favour of
one of the political parties.
Also arrested by security
operatives for same offence
was a sister to a PDP chieftain
in Oru East.
The officials, it was
gathered, were caught
at five different polling
units in Omuma, Oru East
perpetrating the malpractice
in the residence of a chieftain
of one of the political parties
and were taken away by
policemen.
An eyewitness, who
preferred anonymity,
told Nigerian Pilot that
Mr. Mike Igini, one of the
visiting Resident Electoral
Commissioner, REC,
accompanied by DIG Job
Doma, acting on a tip off
swooped on the accused ad
hoc staff and apprehended
the suspects.
When contacted, the Imo
State REC, Dr Gabriel Ada
confirmed the arrest of
some ad hoc officials of the
commission but could not
give details of the number
of persons involved among
other issues.
Imo Police Public Relations
Officer, PPRO, DSP Andrew
Enwerem, in his reaction,
said that he was yet to receive
official briefing on the arrest
of the INEC officials.
Our correspondent, who
monitored elections in the
following polling units; Afor
Akuma, Omuma Market
Square, Central School,
Akuma, Secondary School,
Akuma, Central School,
Omuma, all in Oru East LGA
and Egwe Town School,
Osemoto Community,
Osemoto Hall units in Oguta
LGA report that the election
was largely peaceful and
hitch-free.
However, there were
reports of massive failure of
card readers in picking the
thumb prints of the voters
during accreditation in almost
all the polling units visited
and several others across the
259 units were the rerun took
place in the state.
Unconfirmed reports
further had it that one of
the Chieftains of the All
Progressives Congress, APC,
from Nkwerre LGA of the
state was allegedly abducted
by thugs believed to be acting
for the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, but was freed
following timely intervention
of men of the police.
It was further gathered that
the election suffered low voter
turnout in some areas while
the restriction of movement
was not stringently enforced
as markets and shops in parts
of the states visited were open
for business despite heavy
presence of uniformed men