Independent Electoral Commission Chairman, Maurice Iwu, was today quizzed at the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) over allegations that he received N50 million from Okey Ndeche, an INEC operative widely known as an expert in doctoring elections results. A source within INEC described Mr. Ndeche as “Professor Iwu’s right hand man.”
Iwu’s interrogation, which took place in the SSS headquarters known as Yellow House, came in the wake of police investigations ordered by Umaru Yar’adua into the bribery scandal that rocked the widely flawed gubernatorial election re-run in Ekiti State. A source within the police told Saharareporters that the police officers charged with the investigation were doing “a weak job.” The source said the police investigators flatly refused to investigate top INEC officials, including Iwu, over the bribery allegations.
Critics have described Yar'adua's belated decision to probe the election scandal in Ekiti State as “a ruse.” One AC leader in Ekiti told us that Yar’adua “was part of the scheme to steal votes and the governor’s office in Ekiti.” He said Yar'adua's so-called investigation betray the man’s deceitful nature, calling attention to Yar’adua’s inheritance of a dubious presidential mandate. Mrs. Ayoka Adebayo, Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti, was also at today’s interrogation.
Our sources said the bribe scandal was blown open by one INEC official who participated in the re-run farce but was miffed when his share of the N250 million bribe was not delivered. Our sources said re-imposed Governor Segun Oni had doled out the cash to INEC officials who worked in Ido-Osi local government area of Ekiti State. The single local government provided the inflated numbers that ensured “victory” for Mr. Oni, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.
Saharareporters was the first news outlet to expose the role of Mr. Ndeche in the rigging of the Ekiti returns. An INEC source had told our correspondent that Ndeche was INEC’s in-house expert for rigging elections for any candidate who pays Iwu's price. Ndeche works closely with National Commissioner, Victor Chukwuani, who gives effect to Iwu’s instructions. Chukwuani once worked for indicted former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State. A lawyer by profession, Chukwuani was, until his INEC assignment, the registrar of deeds and titles in the Enugu State Ministry of Lands and Housing. An Enugu government source accused Chukwuani of using his position to help the former governor and now senator to convert choice lands to his personal use.
Iwu’s INEC is riddled with fraudsters and scam artists. Saharareporters had published an expose on another INEC commissioner, Philip Umeadi Jnr., who is described as a member of Iwu’s inner ring. Our investigation revealed that Umeadi was expelled from the Faculty of Law at the University of Benin following his implication in extensive exam malpractices. Iwu himself cannot account for the source of his first degree that enabled him to attend the University of Bradford in the UK, where he did his Masters and PhD in herbal medicine through research (without in-class work). Bradford officials told Saharareporters that Iwu presented a first degree from an institute in Cameroon. Meanwhile, Iwu lied to an online publication that he earned his first and advanced degrees from Bradford. Our investigations also uncovered how Iwu stole $50,000 from CitiBank in Maryland. He claimed that he thought the money came from a "foundation" from which he applied for a grant.
A source in Maryland told us that Iwu’s son, Samuel Iwu, who lives in the state, maintains an extravagant lifestyle. Samuel recently bought a Mercedes Benz car for his wife.
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