INEC Expresses Shock over Advertorial. Accusing it of Plotting to Rig Elections

 INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed shock over a front page advertorial placed by a group in some national newspapers on Wednesday, March 25, 2013, alleging a plot by the Chairman of the Commission to rig the 2015 general elections.

In a rebuttal by the Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Kayode Idowu, the commission said, "The group cited the constitution of a presidential election result collation committee by the INEC Chairman as the basis for its allegation that a plot to rig the election has been hatched."
According to the statement, "INEC would not have bothered to respond to such patently cynical and malicious allegation but for the fact that the elections are days away and otherwise respectable national newspapers have lent themselves to be used as platforms to disseminate such falsehood. Any misinformation, – even as baseless as in this particular case – unless corrected could mislead innocent or undiscerning members of the public and cause unnecessary apprehension about the credibility of the electoral process."

The Commission affirmed that the allegation to manipulate or rig the election is completely false and baseless, saying, "The Chairman of the Commission as the Chief Electoral Commissioner of Nigeria and the Returning Officer of the presidential election, has statutory and legal powers to constitute administrative committee(s) to facilitate the performance of his duties.