By Gbenga Olarinoye

CONTRARY  to Wednesday news report that two officers of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were suspended for allegedly manipulating the election result from two local governments  to favour the APC, Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner,  REC, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, yesterday,  absorbed the   APC of complicity over the suspended Electoral Officers, EOs.

The state REC in a statement by the Chief Public Affairs Officer of the commission, Mrs. Adenike Tadese, in Osogbo, read in part:  “It is imperative to comment and correct the erroneous impression created over the pages of the newspapers concerning the suspension of two INEC officers over alleged electoral fraud during the August 9 governorship election.

National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ambassador Muhammed Wali (left); presenting Certificate of Return to the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. With them are, Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Secretary of the Commission, Mr .Oladipo Oladapo; Acting Director, Legal, Mr Ibrahim Bawa (3rd left) and others, at the INEC office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Tuesday 12-08-2014

“It is pertinent to clarify and also set the record straight that the two Electoral Officers, Mr. Funsho Fabunmi (Osogbo Local Government) and Mr. Anthony Olusegun Esinoye (Obokun Local Government) were not suspended based on allegedly collusion with the All Progressives Congress, APC, to manipulate electoral process in favour of the party in Osogbo and Obokun local government councils respectively.

“They were neither culpable of selling ballot papers to the APC nor manipulation of Form EC8C to favour the APC and voiding of PDP votes counted in favour of the APC. Mr. Fabunmi was suspended based on administrative lapses occasioned in the course of discharging his duties. Mr. Esinoye, Electoral Officer, Obokun Local Government on 7th August, 2014, was alleged by the people of Obokun Local Government Area of diverting sensitive election materials and was arrested by the Police in the area.”

“A press release was immediately issued to correct the spurious allegation that non-sensitive materials which were supposed to be deployed alongside with the sensitive materials were erroneously taken to the Registration Area Centre along with materials meant for the setting up of the centre by the Assistant Executive Officer of the local government while the Electoral Officer was at the state office of the Commission in Osogbo for the collection of the sensitive election materials in the presence of security and political party agents.”

“It was at the point of retrieval of the non-sensitive materials that the residents of the area accosted him and raised alarm that drew the attention of the Police.
“It is important at this point to emphasise that INEC Headquarters did not find the Electoral Officers culpable of working for the APC to rig the election as purported by the PDP.

“We strongly believe that the stories in the dailies are part of grand design to cast aspersion on the integrity of INEC; it is our wish to state unequivocally that INEC will always be forthright, transparent and alive to her responsibilities and have zero tolerance for indiscipline and will bring erring officers to book,” the statement added.

Earlier, APC had  accused PDP of  twisting the facts, saying, “it is unfortunate that PDP handlers have gone to town, manipulating facts and placing their offences on their intended victim, the APC.”

APC in a statement, by the state Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi,   recalled that, “It is on record that on  August 8, 2014, vigilant youths arrested a truckful of ballot papers to be used for the gubernatorial election on August 9, 2014 and this was widely reported.

“The two persons in charge of the vehicle who were arrested were the Electoral Officer of Obokun Local Government in Osun State, Segun Eshilokun and one Ismaila Taofik, who were in possession of the electoral materials before INEC started the distribution of materials.

“The two culprits were handed over to the police and were taken to the State CID in Osogbo. Later, the two of them were released to one Oladipo Oladapo, a PDP chieftain from Ile-Ife without any charge brought against them. The order to release them was simply said to have come from above.”