“Politicians Bribed Presiding Officers with Dollars” — Mike Igini Alleges on 2019 Polls

Mike Igini, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the Independent National Electoral Commission, says that politicians gave presiding officers money right after they were trained for the 2019 Nigerian general election.

Igini told Arise Television’s Morning Show on Wednesday that some of the election officials who got the money later told him about it.

He said that the bribery happened between the time when the presiding officers were trained and the day of the election.

Igini said that he told the officials who were affected that they could be arrested if they didn’t follow ethical standards, but they said that the Electoral Act said they wouldn’t face any consequences.

He was worried that some legal provisions seem to give immunity, which means that electoral misconduct goes unpunished.

The former REC also brought up new worries about the legal framework before the 2027 elections, saying that some parts of it could make the process less credible.

He said that important people like the INEC chairman, national commissioners, and resident electoral commissioners would mostly be in charge on election day, which could leave room for mistakes.

Igini said, “I was lucky enough to be chosen by two presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have traveled all over the country to run elections.

“Do you know that when I trained people on a Wednesday for the 2019 election, politicians went to share money for presiding officers on Saturday?

“Some of them came to me.” When they told me, I said that some of you would be arrested if you didn’t follow the highest moral standards.

“I was told that they showed them this part and told them that nothing would happen to them. They won’t be asked to go to court. So this part that we see here gives them immunity. You will not be invited if you rig the election. They said you can’t follow any orders from INEC. You won’t get hurt.

“Now, the reason I’m asking my constituency (INEC) to stand tall is that this issue will eventually go to court. We want what we call a “purposive interpretation.” Every part of the law that we have suggested changing is based on a problem we have found over time.

“It is the court’s job to push the remedy we want and stop the bad behavior.” But that hasn’t been happening in court. This is the issue we need to fix.

“And so we are going into the 2027 elections. You already have a plan that will ruin the whole thing because the INEC chairman, national commissioners, and resident electoral commissioners won’t be there that day.”
They are just in charge.