Jimoh Ibrahim Accuses INEC Of Demanding Bribe

PDP Factional candidate Jimoh Ibrahim, has alleged that INEC demanded N1million bribe to accept his candidacy.

Ibrahim disclosed that the commission’s Acting Legal Adviser, Mrs. O.O. Babalola demanded the bribe after the court’s ruling in his favour.

The factional candidate said he had petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari on the alleged bribery request and also reported the matter to the INEC.

“We had a judgment directing the INEC to collect our document for the governorship election in Ondo State, but it was not obeyed. This is an act of lawlessness that is capable of creating anarchy.”

“We went to court where the INEC was also part of the proceedings and they undertook to obey the judgment. Now we had a judgment that was specific, directing that it should accept me as the candidate. The judgment was served on the electoral body which claimed to be studying it.”

Ibrahim had emerged as candidate of the Ali Modu-Sheriff’s faction of the party in late August. He got Justice Okon Abang order to replace Eyitayo Jegede, the Markarfi-led faction candidate.

INEC Denies Jimoh Ibrahim’s Claim

In a swift reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, has described  Ibrahim’s allegation as uncharitable and ungodly.

“It is not true that Mrs. Babalola demanded one million dollar bribe from Ibrahim. Two other officials of INEC witnessed the encounter between Mrs. Babalola and Ibrahim, who brought a copy of his judgment and wanted to impress it on the commission to collect. But we told him that we already had a copy of the judgment. It is uncharitable and ungodly of a businessman of Ibrahim’s stature to make this kind of allegation.”

The Ondo state gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 26.