INEC honours corper for rejecting bribe to rig during Ondo by-election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today honoured a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ismail Lawal, who rejected a bribe to rig the inconclusive Ilaje-Ese-Odo House of Representatives By-election in Ondo State in favour of a particular party.
Lawal was said to have been put under duress by loyalists of the party, who offered him N8000 to turn the result in their favour but rejected to do their wish.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mr. Akin Orebiyi made this known at the inauguration of the State Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity.

Orebiyi said Lawal showed probity, honesty and integrity in the
conduct of the election, saying Nigeria needed the likes of the Corps member for its progress and development.
The REC noted that the Commission had put in place some structures that would make it difficult for officials to rig elections.
According to the REC, the electoral process and structure put in place did not permit influence or interference from within INEC or outside it.
His words “With the process and structure put in place by the Commission under Professor Attahiru Jega’s watch, no one,not even he, the Chairman, or the National Commissioner, Resident Electoral Commissioner or Electoral

Officer can rig election successfully in this country. And we are not
willing to do so”.
Orebiyi therefore urged the people of the country to adopt the electoral process as there own and make it work.
He said the committee was put together to achieve a hitch free Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise slated for July 23 to July 27 in the state, adding that it would be preceded by the distribution of Permanent
Voters’ Card (PVC) from July 18 to July 20.

The REC said the committee would work together and closely in order to ensure adequate voter education and public enlightenment on electoral activities going forward to 2015 and beyond.

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