*Allegation untrue, says INEC

BY OLA AJAYI
SOME politicians in Oyo State may have made up their minds to frustrate the determination of the Professor Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to organise free and credible election in April this year.

This indication emerged yesterday in Ibadan when it was discovered that about four registration machines were missing out of the 32 needed for the exercise in Ibadan North Local Government. Though, the missing machines resurfaced, but 2,000 fictitious names were said to have been fed into them.

Vanguard gathered that 32 of the machines for the registration centre had already been distributed to the Methodist Primary School, Bodija but they were reportedly missing in transit. However, when they re-appeared the following day, (Sunday), each of them had 500 names already recorded in them.

The matter, according to a source, would have resulted in violence but for the quick intervention of the security agents monitoring the exercise.

Reacting to the story, the Head, Public Affairs, INEC in Ibadan, Mr. Ayodele Folami said the story was difficult to believe.

He said, it would have been easier if the particular units were identified so that steps could be taken to investigate the veracity of the story. Notwithstanding, he promised that the electoral body would make further investigation to unravel the mystery behind the whole issue.

He later called back to say that 38 machines were taken to the place instead of 42 and some community leaders insisted that unless the machines were complete, the exercise would not be allowed to take-off.

“They later came to our head office, and found out that those machines had not been configured. It is nothing but a fake information. There are some highly connected people there and they just want to discredit the system. The other time, some people told us that a fake NYSC was caught. But, we later found out that the said corps member was an authentic one screened for the exercise”, he explained.

There was slight improvement in the registration exercise yesterday as machines that were not compatible at the take-off of the exercise had been rectified. But, intending registrants complained that the officials were too slow and since they had their own jobs, it would not be easy to stand at the registration centres all day.

Chairman, Akinyele Local Government, Mr. Adeyemi Aderibigbe and a politician in Ibadan North Local Government, Alhaji Wahab Odusina said irrespective of the slight hurdles, the exercise would end well.