Electoral Fraud:University of Benin Remanded in Prison

A lecturer at the University of Benin and Returning Officer in the controversial National Assembly election in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Benin, Mr. Paul Iroghama, has been remanded in the Oko Prisons, Benin till April 21, 2011, which is the
next adjourned date in a suit filed against him by the Edo State Commissioner of Police. Iroghama, who was arraigned at the Magistrate Court 2 in Benin City before Magistrate I.V Iyoha, was charged with tampering with the results of the National Assembly election in the Local Government Area.

The charge sheet no MIGN/36c/2011 against him reads: “that you Paul Iroghama‘m’being an INEC Collating/Returning Officer, on the 10th day of April, 2011 between the hours of 9am and 4pm at Iguobazuwa Local Government

Collating Centre, in the Iguobazuwa Magisterial District without lawful excuse acted in breach of your official duty by tampering with the results of the candidate of the political parties that contested election into the House of Representative for Ward 8 Ugbogui in Ovia South West Local Government Area as indicated on the INEC Result Sheet S/No: 3085 (Form EC8C(1)) by awarding ACN 520 votes, APGA Nil vote, CPC 10 votes, ANPP 15 votes and PDP 10,261 votes as against the authentic scores of the candidates in the Ward 8 Ugbogui Election Result Sheet /No: 396 (For EC 8B(1)) as follows: ACN 1,036 votes, APGA Nil votes, CPC Nil vote, ANPP Nil votes and PDP 1,313 votes and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 123 (1) of the Electoral Act as Amended LFN 2010.



Count II:

“that you Paul Iroghama ‘m’ being an INEC Collating/Returning Officer on same date, at about 4.pm at same place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, without lawful excuse, acted in breach of your official duty by publishing the election result into the House of Representatives in Ward 8, Ugbogui on the INEC result sheet with S/No: 3085 (form EC 8C(1) as follows: ACN 520 votes, APGA Nil vote, CPC 10 votes, ANPP 15 votes and PDP 10,261 votes knowing same to be false and which were at variance with the authentic result of ward 8 Ugbogui in the INEC election result sheet S/No 396 (form EC8b(1))as follows CAN 1,306 votes, APGA Nil vote, CPC Nil vote, ANPP Nil vote and PDP 1,313 votes and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 123 (4) of the Electoral Act as amended LFN 2010.”