The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday described the controversial House of Assembly elections held in Ilaje Local Government Areas of Ondo State as "unsatisfactory."
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday described the controversial House of Assembly elections held in Ilaje Local Government Areas of Ondo State as "unsatisfactory."
INEC chairman Amina Zakari addressed journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital, saying that despite announcing the winners of the elections, the commission was aware that the elections lacked credibility.
The erstwhile National Commissioner in charge of Ekiti, Ogun, and Oyo States, Lai Olurode, disclosed that the electoral body was handicapped and had to declare a result for the two constituencies. "We are helpless, and since a return has been made the commission cannot do otherwise. It is only a court of law that can reverse it."
She confessed that the commission was not satisfied with the election result, which was declared for Abayomi Akinruntan of Ilaje Constituency I and Coker Malachi of Ilaje Constituency II, both candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Expressing a similarity between the Ilaje Local Government Areas House of Assembly elections and that of Kano State, the INEC official said the commission had to take a "firm stand" that the election was not credible.
"The loser went to court with assurance that we would support in terms of documents used for the election… Definitely, the commission would be willing to do the same for the Ondo election,” she said.
Sahara Reporters had exclusively reported with documents how the Ondo State House of Assembly allegedly forged the Certificate of Return for both Mr. Akinruntan and Mr. Malachi.
The move by the Speaker of the Assembly, Jumoke Akindele, and the body’s clerk, Bayo Adeyelu, to accept the two as legitimate lawmakers has generated political backlash. Already, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are inviting the duo for questioning to unravel how they were sworn in without their official INEC documents, and sources say that Mr. Akindele and Adeyelu have become regular visitors to the anti-graft agency in Abuja, sources told SaharaReporters.