By Ben Agande

ABUJA – The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission , INEC , Prof. Attahiru Jega Wednesday, disclosed  that some prominent  Nigerians blaze the trail in the attempt at sabotaging the recently concluded voters registration exercise by registering more than once.

Professor Jega who revealed this at a summit on free and fair elections organized by the Nations Newspapers in concert with INEC in Abuja   said the commission might have to “start with them” in its bid to punish electoral offenders.

And at the event,  the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammed Uwais, expressed worries over the spate of court injunctions ahead of the April polls, saying the do not portend well for the judiciary.

Professor  Jega said the commission had dictated double registration in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory,adding however   that the “number was statistically insignificant since it was less than one per cent of the numbered that registered”.

According to him, “We have caught some high profile double registration, and we might begin with them,”

He also revealed that , some members of  National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were engaged by the commission during the voter registration exercise were being prosecuted for engaging in electoral offences.

Professor Attahiru Jega

The INEC chairman  expressed worries that the commission had over 200 court cases to contend with, less than one month to the general elections, and said that multiple litigation and injunctions might create problems in the 2011 elections as they did in 1993.

The INEC chairman said the issue of substitution of candidates `had remained a iajor headache for the commission, and blamed the courts for the conflicting orders that warranted the substitutinns.

He noted that over 70 of the court cases served on  INEC were ex-parte orders and regretted that some of them were made by Abuja courts without hearing from INEC, despite that it has its headquarters in Abuja.

“A judge gives such order in Abuja without giving us the opportunity to be heard. This is not done, but we have to be law abiding and respect these orders in order not to allow chaos, even when you know that 4he ruling is wrong. This is the cause of the inconsistency INEC is accuseD of. This kind of judgements created problems in  1993.”He noted.

He maintained that INEC would not allow a situation where some prominent individuals would go to the polling centres with their retinue of security men and start moving around after casting their votes, adding that voters would only be allowed to cast their ballots and go home to avoid confusion.

“We will deal with electoral offences, we will prosecute them, we will not protect our staff who commit electoral offences,” Jega assured Nigerians.

In his remarks, the former information minister and Niger Delta activist, Chief Edwin Clerk, said Jega was still floating, despite all his good intentions, and called for the reorganization of INEC.

He called for a reorganisaton of INEC saying that some of those working with Jega, including some national commissioners, are still part of the old order.