…says he never visited nor had secret meetings with anyone

The outgoing Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, Barr. Mike Igini has declared that no Nigerian politician has the balls to approach him to compromise election. He said he never visited any politician nor took gifts from them and challenged anyone with proof to go public with it. Igini stated this while fielding questions from Celestine Mel, an Abuja based commentator on public affairs, as part of activities to mark his exit from the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria after serving for12 years.

According to Igini, “I have had instances where individuals approach those close to me to bribe me to influence elections to their favour. In a particular instance, someone informed me that someone offered to fly me out of the country in a private jet to meet them, if I was not comfortable to deal in Nigeria. I turned every effort like that down. And I tell you what, politicians have not developed the nerves and the balls to approach me personally, to offer a bribe or discuss matters relating to compromising any election. They know the possible consequences of such a mistake”.

Igini further said that many politicians have lost huge sums of money to fraudulent characters who said they were acting on my behalf.
“Many politicians have been duped of huge sums of money in the name of Mike Igini. And because some of these politicians are so desperate, they become gullible, they would give their money to people. There was a case like that in which a politician gave money to someone and one of the security agencies brought to my notice. I told them I cannot listen to such stupidity. Money for Mike Igini to do what? Of course, I am told that before I got to Akwa Ibom, results were written in connivance with my predecessors who would collect money to look the other way and put people in power. The culture was so grand that they would never have imagined something different. Until I came” Igini said.

Igini added that he never planned becoming a Resident electoral Commissioner but took the job to contribute his quota to the reformation of the electoral system in Nigeria having been a strong advocate to good governance,
“On 8th of June 2010, I had a call from the Villa that President Goodluck Jonathan was appointing me into INEC as Resident Electoral Officer. I thought it was a joke. I declined the offer. At that time, I was getting ready to leave with my family for a vacation outside the country. INEC was the least of organizations that I could accept to be part of, principally because of INEC’s record of corruption, graft, compromise, etc”.

“The next day, many colleagues within the CSO space weighed in. Several CSO groups had deliberations on it. A meeting was also held at Femi Falana’s Office in GRA lkeja, that I should accept the appointment; that members of CSOs needed to move from the sidelines into the mainstream, to contribute towards shaping things up from inside and my work would add value”.

Igini noted that the pressure was much on him to accept the offer as some governors, South-South elders and individuals notably. Real Admiral Mike Akhigbe, former Chief of General Staff (now late) to the Abdulsalam Abubakar regime called to persuade me to take up the offer in the service of Nigeria. The consensus was that the offer was an opportunity for the CSO’s to get involved in practical nation building. The Edo Born Lawyer said he was the only one that given appointment since 8th June 2010 but didn't show up till 20th of July.

On his achievements, Igini said in states where he served, he tried to guarantee the sanctity of the ballot and ensured that the will of the voters prevailed over the will of those who counted the votes. Also, during his tenure as REC, Professor Peter Ogban who was paid to falsify the result of the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District election in 2019 was prosecuted and sent him to serve three years in jail. Another Professor lgnatius Uduk involved in the same Essien Udim, is standing trial for generating false figures for another candidate. Some INEC staff under Igini that deviated from the highest principle of ethical standards over the 2019 election have been dismissed.

Mike Igini further added there have been free and fair elections in states of Edo, Anambra, Cross River and Akwa Ibom where he held sway as REC.

“During the 2011 Presidential election, CPC won in the Bogogbiri area of Calabar. ACN won a state constituency too. It was the first time that any opposition party had a chance. In 2012, I was sent to conduct a senatorial bye-election in Anambra State. The state was totally under the control of APGA with Peter Obi as governor but the candidate of the opposition PDP won. In 2014, I was in charge of the most vulnerable LGA in Osun State which literally determined the governorship election. Iyiola Omisore who is now the national secretary of the APC, was the candidate of the PDP. He lost the election to APC’s Rauf Aregbesola. Omisore accused me of working for the APC. My crime as always, was that I allowed the will of the people to prevail. The Edo 2015 result was so unique that APC and PDP split the senate seats 1:2, House of Representatives 4:5, and State Assembly 23:3. That was the only state out of eleven (11) of both South South and South East that President Buhari scored 46% over and above the 25% constitutional minimum requirement”.

Igini said one of his greatest milestones is the demystification of federal might and the fact that powerful people determine winners of elections. He maintained that under his watch only the might of the people through the ballot that election winners and that voters and nobody else that exercise power in a democracy. He said he has also proved to Nigerians that not everybody has a price.

On his biggest headache and challenge and REC, Igini said, “Akwa Ibom has been my biggest headache caused by a few politicians who became what they are politically, by writing and falsifying polling results in their private homes. He said he identified and relocated twenty-three polling units from private homes, which effectively neutralized their age-long rigging schemes. They woke up to a new reality that was too unusual. So, they went to town with stories that I had been compromised”.

Igini threw a challenge to any one in Akwa Ibom state or anywhere in Nigeria to show proof that he took monies from politicians or political parties to rig election in their favour. He also said since coming to Akwa Ibom, he has never stepped his foot into the home of any human being or anybody’s house, taken a glass of water from anybody, ever met in secret or in private with anybody directly or by proxy anywhere in the world on any matter related to election in Akwa Ibom. He has asked that anyone with such proof should make it public.

“I challenge anybody who has met me before to speak out. That challenge has remained on the table for years now. I would be glad if anyone comes out to say it is not true. I have never received any money or gift, either in person or by proxy from anybody in Akwa Ibom State since I came. I mean, anybody. Not just the politician. Indeed, people who know me have quarreled and are tired that I have never visited them. Truth is, I have never received any gift or money or inducement from anybody in my entire career in INEC. If you have any proof, make it public” Igini boosted.


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