Ife Ogunfuwa and Gbenga Odogun
with agency report The Independent National Electoral
Commission says its allegation of
double registration against Governor
Yahaya Bello of Kogi State still stands .
“ The allegation of double registration
has not been swept under the carpet;
we cannot prosecute Bello now because
he enjoys immunity as a sitting governor.“ He has committed an offence and weshall prosecute him when he is out office,”
INEC Resident Electoral
Commissioner in Kogi , Prof . James
Apam , said in Lokoja on Thursday.
He said that the recent issuance of a temporary voter card to the governor did not mean that the issue of double registration had been swept under the
carpet.
The News Agency of Nigeria , reports
that INEC had, on February 26, issued a temporary voter card to the governor after applying for the transfer of his permanent card from Abuja to Okene.
INEC last year declared the second registration done by Bello , on May 23 at
the Government House , Lokoja as
illegal and contrary to the Electoral Act.
The electoral body , through one of its
National Electoral Commissioners , Mr .
Emmanuel Shoyebi , said that the
registration, which was done outside
the designated registration centre, also
amounted to double registration which
is a criminal offence.
Shoyebi said that Bello did his first
registration at Wuse Zone 11 in Abuja ,
on January 30, 2011.
For their involvement in the double registration saga, a senior official of INEC was compulsorily retired from service while two others were summarily dismissed last month.
Apam , however , explained that a
temporary voter card was issued to the
governor based on legal advice , saying
that the governor would surely face the
consequences of his crime at the
appropriate time.
Young-po Reporters 