INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION PRESS STATEMENT: Report on the Administrative Panel on the Rivers Rerun elections,

Gentlemen of the Press,

Let me welcome all of you to this briefing, which is in furtherance to the Commission’s resolve to regularly brief members of the public on its activities.

1. You may recall that late last year, the Commission received a report from the EFCC in which some of our staff were accused of certain infractions. We would like to update you on the matter. A total of 202 INEC officials from 14 states were mentioned in the report. Based on the EFCC’s interim report, the Commission subsequently queried and invited them to appear before an Administrative Panel. The final report of the investigation into the matter will be considered by the Commission at its meeting next week. 

2. As we informed you last week, the Commission received the Report of its Administrative Panel on the December 10, 2016 Rivers State Re-run elections. Twenty-nine members of staff were recommended for disciplinary action, and their cases are currently being handled by the Commission’s Disciplinary Committee.

3. Still on the Report on the Administrative Panel on the Rivers Rerun elections, we informed you earlier that the Commission’s office in Rivers State will be overhauled. In so doing, all the directing staff, that is, the Administrative Secretary, all Heads of Department, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors as well as all the 23 Electoral Officers who head our Local Government offices are being redeployed out of Rivers State immediately.

4. By March 4, five more Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) will complete their tenure. This is in addition to the 28 RECs who had earlier completed their tenure. Those leaving on March 4 are: Prof. Jacob Jatau (Federal Capital Territory), Mr. Segun Agbaje (Ondo), Barrister Austin Okojie (Bayelsa), Baba Abba Yusuf (Adamawa) and Mr. Nasir Ayilara (Niger). We thank these gentlemen for their contributions to the work of the Commission over the last five years and wish them well in their future endeavours.
5. Thank you for your attention.


Signed
Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu
National Commissioner
March 2, 2017.