A Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Francis Asmakia Ted, has accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Bayelsa State, Mr. Baritor Kpagih, of collecting a two hundred million naira (N200,000,000) bribe from the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson.
In an Affidavit of Facts, Mr. Ted alleged that Governor Dickson offered Mr. Kpagih a N1 billion bribe to illegally tilt the December 5th polls in Bayelsa State in favor of Governor Dickson, stressing that the N200 million cash bribe was the initial payment.
According to the SPO, the financial inducement was the reason that Mr. Kpagih ignored the severe violence and irregularities in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ekeremor, Nembe, and Ogbia. Instead, the REC focused on the violence in the Southern Ijaw LGA unilaterally declaring the results there as inconclusive.
