INEC Staff Caught With DDC Machines In Hotel Room Must Face The Whistle

Attempts by an official INEC accused of electoral malpractices to go scot free might have hit the rocks.

The suspect, Osunlola Akinyinka, who was the head of ICT unit of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was allegedly caught with six DDC machines belonging to the electoral body in a hotel in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Akinyinka however filed a “No case” submission on the case against him. But the Ibadan High Court handling the case has been urged to throw out a “No case” submission filed by the sacked INEC staff.

This was according to a prayer contained in a reply filed by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Shuaib Alaran, in the suit on allegations conspiracy and unlawful revision of voters register in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital in 2010. Justice A. A. Aderemi has fixed March 4, 2013, for the adoption of written addresses of the no case submission filed by the defendants.

Akinyinka, the sacked INEC official, was accused of conspiring with others, including Olufemi Samuel, Dauda Oladeji and Salami Adetola to tamper with INEC Direct Data Capturing, DDC, Machines contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap.38 Vol.2, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.

Apart from the DDC machines which contained names and particulars of some eligible voters that were allegedly seen with the defendants, they were said to have been caught with one laptop, 11 chargers and 11 external discs belonging to INEC. In their no case submission jointly filed before the court, they are asking the court to acquit them on the ground that the prosecution has failed to prove the essential ingredients of conspiracy against the defendants.