Punch Illegal voters: Oke seeks overhaul of INEC AUGUST 19, 2013 - TopicsExpress

Punch Illegal voters: Oke seeks overhaul of INEC AUGUST 19, 2013 BY SUNDAY ABORISADE, AKURE INEC, Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the October 2012 Election in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke, on Saturday, advocated a “total overhaul of the Independent National Electoral Commission before the 2015 general elections.” Oke, who spoke with journalists in Akure, the state capital, said his call came against the backdrop of the admission of the electoral body that it discovered 93,000 illegal injections of names into the voter register of Anambra State. He said the INEC’s discovery had vindicated his claim and that of his party on the shortcomings of the agency in the last election in Ondo State, particularly on the voter register. Oke described the INEC’s Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, as “an upright man that means well for the nation,” but noted that “many other workers in the commission are corrupt and are ready to do anything to satisfy the bidding of their sponsors.” He said, “Many of the people in INEC are those that had been there since 1999 and who had entrenched themselves in corrupt practices and unless these elements are flushed out through a major overhaul, there cannot be any credible election in the country. “I am delighted by the INEC’s alarm on the voter register of Anambra State. It means some people have tampered with the register as it was done in the register used in the October 20, 2012 election in Ondo State. The INEC’s discovery had vindicated us and our party. “Until voter register is sanitised, we cannot be talking of a credible election. This is the point we are making and this is the cause of our argument, which we want the Supreme Court to adjudicate on. “Now that INEC has seen this, it is a great challenge. INEC must start all over. If nothing is done before 2015, it means anybody can just tamper with the register. So, the starting point for 2015 is credible voter register.” Oke, who is currently challenging the verdict of the Appeal Court on the Ondo 2012 governorship election at the Supreme Court, expressed optimism that his request before the apex court would be considered. He said, “This is the first time that the Supreme Court would be asked to adjudicate on the issue that bothers on voter register. Whatever the Supreme Court says is the final. If the law says the register should be displayed within certain period before election and that was not done by the INEC in the case of Ondo State election, it is now left for the court to decide.”