Factional candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Ondo State governorship election, Jimoh Ibrahim, dropped a bombshell, claiming an INEC official “demanded for one million dollar bribe from me to process the court judgment”.
He accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of rejecting his papers as the authentic candidate of the PDP even when the court papers were served INEC. He told journalists Sunday that INEC was not an Appeal Court hence cannot determine who is the PDP candidate in the election.
Ibrahim was produced by the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the party. He claims he is the rightful candidate of his party, the PDP, in the Ondo State governorship election flaunting last week judgment of an Abuja High Court which ruled that INEC should recognise him.
Jimoh Ibrahim claimed that the electoral body had said it will obey the court judgment immediately it was served but wondered why INEC reneged on the promise “immediately INEC was served the judgment.”
He said that he had petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and reported the bribe-demanding INEC official to the INEC chairman. In the said petition, he also demanded the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, claiming that he was a card carrying member of the PDP and therefore would show bias in the course of the election.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi dismissed the bribery allegation as untrue.
“Two other officials of INEC witnessed the encounter between Mrs Babalola and Jimoh Ibrahim. Jimoh Ibrahim brought a copy of his judgment and wanted to impress it on INEC to collect it. But we told him that we already have it. It is uncharitable and ungodly of businessman of his stature to make this kind of allegation”, he said.
