Two Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) members have been let go over their involvement in the double registration of the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello.
Yahaya Bello denied any knowledge of the deed, telling state house correspondents “I traveled to Dubai on May 19 for a brief break and I saw the press release that I did a double registration on (May) 23, probably it is my ghost that must have done the double registration.”
Bello, who had already registered as a voter in the federal capital territory, FCT, apparently re-registered in Kogi state in May.
May Agbmuche-Mbu, a national commissioner of INEC, spoke on the employees’ dismissal saying “Following reports of the alleged double registration by the Governor of Kogi State in the on-going Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, the Commission set up a panel of investigation into the involvement of staff in the matter. The initial report submitted by the panel was referred to the Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee, which made recommendations to the Commission. While the Governor of Kogi State currently enjoys immunity from prosecution, the Commission took the following decisions in respect of its own staff: Summary dismissal of two staff for acts of gross misconduct and Immediate and compulsory retirement of an Electoral Officer for act of gross misconduct’.”