INEC vows to unravel accomplices in Kano tenage voting

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that The commission is determined to get to the root of circumstances surrounding the issue of teenage voting recorded during the recent local government election in Kano State.
The Commission has similarly said that its call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to help in the monitoring of parties campaign fund was not targeted at any political parties or politicians.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said these while reacting to the various allegations made against it by PDP yesterday at a press conference in Abuja.
INEC explained that its collaboration with EFCC started when some staff of the Commission were accused of corruption after the 2015.
According to Oyekanmi, “We appreciate the concern of the PDP and the danger In the narrative of the underage voting. We want to assure them (PDP) and all Nigerians that INEC is determined to get to the root of the matter.
“You will recall that following the Commission meeting held in Lagos, the Chairman announced that a committee to be chaired by a national commissioner and other management staff of the Commission including the Voter Register Department will investigate the matter.
“The question is: did the Kano State Electoral Commission use our Voter Register,? This and many other concerns will be investigated. We think PDP should exercise patient to see how the issue will be handled.
“Since the new Commission under Yakubu came in we have been improving on the electoral processes. As far as reviewing Voter register and handling the raised issue, we are on the same page with PDP and all the concerned Nigerians”, he said.
On the issue of EFCC monitoring of parties campaign fund, Oyekanmi said that the call by the electoral empire was not targeted at any political parties or politicians.
He explained that the collaboration of INEC and EFCC started when some staff of the Commission were accused of corruption after the 2015.
According to him, “The concerned staff were investigated by the anti-graft agency without any interference, INEC gave the needed support and some of the staff were interdicted.
“When the chairman made the statement, he did not mention a specific political party or politician. The call was made out of the concerns about INEC not monitoring finances of parties and infractions that it is part of EFCC mandate and it will do well with that.
“It was never targeted at any politician or political party. It was borne out of the question that people were asking and the refusal of political parties to submit their campaign fund report to the Commission”, he pointed out.