The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday blamed the police and other security agencies for the widespread irregularities that characterised the April 14 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
INEC�s National Commissioner in charge of Publicity, Mr. Phillip Umeadi (Jnr.), told newsmen in Abuja that the commission was �totally disappointed� in the security agencies because their performances fell below expectation.
He said INEC did its best to conduct a violence-and-fraud-free poll, but the ineptitude of the security agencies messed up the process.
He said the police and other security agencies should be blamed for 99 per cent of the malpractices as they failed to stop thugs from hijacking ballot boxes during the election.
Umeadi said, �The assurance we gave that we were going to conduct violence-and-fraud-free elections was based on the assurance we were given by the security agencies. But we are disappointed, like most Nigerians that the security agencies did not live up to expectation.
�We are totally disappointed and you will agree with me that most, if not all, of the malpractices that were noticed in the isolated cases I have spoken about are cases of breach of security.
�We have hijacking of ballot boxes at gunpoint. INEC officials are human beings like the rest of Nigerians. When you carry the ballot boxes and you are surrounded by people with AK-47 rifles, what do you do? You have to run away.
�Hijacking of electoral materials was the major problem that affected the election in those areas. They are essentially security problems. If there were isolated cases of malpractices, they were not only natural but they occurred entirely outside the role of INEC.�
Umeadi assured Nigerians that INEC would meet with the security agencies to review arrangement for next Saturday�s presidential election.
He added, �We have learnt our lessons from this and in the presidential election, after we must have had long sessions with the security agencies, we intend to address some of the problems.
�As I said yesterday (on Sunday), we are going to meet again with the security agencies to re-strategise with a view to solving some of the problems we observed in this election.�
He, however, vowed that INEC would prosecute the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Chief Omolade Oluwateru, who allegedly hijacked ballot boxes during the elections.
Umeadi said the commission would prosecute all electoral offenders, no matter how highly placed.
He said, �The commission is determined to use people to set an agenda. It does not matter whether they are governors or not. No matter how highly placed they are, we will prosecute them.
�If the police do not prosecute, we will. We cannot sit down, work day and night only for politicians to sabotage the system. We won�t accept that.�
Umeadi, however, said INEC was satisfied with the outcome of the elections, despite the irregularities.
He said the results so far declared were largely a reflection of the votes cast.