Politics
INEC Refutes Rumours Removing Igbo Staff From Election Duty In Lagos
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied preventing ad hoc personnel from the south-east and south-south from voting in the Lagos state governorship election this weekend.
Tadese Adenike, HOD, voter education and publicity in Lagos, responded to the claim made on social media by claiming that while 738 ad-hoc staff (collation officers) were employed during the national elections, the upcoming governorship and house of assembly will only require the services of 427 collation officers because there are only two elections involved.
The Igbo staff members were all brought back to work as Collation Officers for the next elections, but the SPOs (Supervisory Presiding Officers) kept their jobs, according to Adenike.
The HOD of voter education and publicity in Lagos also debunked claim of Olusegun Agbaje, INEC REC in Lagos, being in cahoots with some political actors to rig the gubernatorial election in the state.
The statement read;
“It is pertinent to state unequivocally that members of staff that are Igbos were all returned to work as Collation Officers in the forthcoming elections while SPOs (Supervisory Presiding Officers) maintained their positions.
“Whoever has information concerning the day and time of the said telephone conversation should not hesitate to make it public.
“Going by the above frivolous allegations, it is obvious that the orchestrated stories were fabricated to impugn INEC and taint the reputation of Mr Olusegun Agbaje MFR, mni the honourable resident commissioner INEC Lagos state.
“Without mincing words, Mr Olusegun Agbaje MFR, mni is a man of integrity, sincerity, fully committed and dedicated to the service of the commission and the entire citizens of Nigeria irrespective of ethnicity or political affiliation.
“The public should shun fake news, misinformation and disinformation and allow INEC in Lagos state focus on the forthcoming election in order to achieve the desired result.”
