Head of Operations, Independent National Commission, Plateau State, Mr Kundu Yagba, was on Friday removed from his position. INEC sources told one of our correspondents in Jos that Yagba was relieved of his duties after the police allegedly found INEC result sheets and collation materials in his possession.
He was said to have removed the electoral materials from the Jos office of the Central Bank of Nigeria under questionable circumstances before he was arrested.
INEC Head of Voter Education and Publicity in the state, Mr Osaretin Imahiyerobo, refused to comment on the matter when contacted by our correspondent in Jos on Friday. He said, “I cannot speak on an issue I’m not fully aware of. I can only speak when I get to know what really happened.” But spokesman for the police in the state, Mr Tyopev Mathias, confirmed the development. He however stated that the electoral materials found in possession of the official had been seized by the police.
Tyopev said, “The Commissioner of Police and the Resident Electoral Commissioner have already addressed the matter. “What happened was that the Head of Operations of INEC in the state was said to have moved some sensitive electoral materials from the CBN Jos office where they were kept to INEC headquarters in Jos.
“Under normal circumstances, the movement of such materials should be moved under police escort but that did not happen. When we got information, we moved in and recovered the materials. “The INEC official involved was relieved of his duties as confirmed by the REC.” Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission in Plateau State has redeployed some of its supervising presiding officers ahead of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections on Saturday. INEC Public Relations Officer in the state, Osaretin Imahiyereobo, told our correspondent on Friday that the redeployment was aimed at ensuring that the polls were conducted without a hitch.
