INEC Chairman , Prof. Maurice Iwu

The Senate had at its plenary session on Wednesday raised a committee to investigate how INEC expended the N17bn appropriated for some materials for the poll.  But the commission had through its National Commissioner in charge of Publicity, Mr. Phillip Umeadi (Jnr.), told our correspondent on the telephone that INEC had nothing to hide over the latest development.

He added that the electoral body would therefore be willing to open its books to the Senate Committee for verification of all expenditures the commission had made so far.  Umeadi said though the Senate was yet to officially inform the INEC of its plan to probe its finances, the electoral body would be willing to cooperate fully with such a panel.

He stressed that all procurements made and contracts awarded by the commission followed due process and that INEC had nothing to hide.  The INEC‘s spokesman also argued that the leadership of the commission had conducted all financial transactions transparently and was willing to render accounts when called to do so.

He further claimed that the electoral body had an internal due process unit and a faultless record keeping procedure that could assist the committee to complete its assignment even in a day.  He added that all contracts that were budgeted for and awarded were on ground for physical inspection.

He said, ”We do not have the details of the committee that the Senate plans to set up. We are yet to be formally informed that a panel has been formed.  ”But we are not afraid of being probed. In fact we are not afraid of anything. We have an in-house due process unit and a functional audit unit as well which can assist such a committee to even complete its work in one day.

”As far as disbursement of funds, procurement of electoral materials and award of contracts are concerned, we have nothing to worry about.  ”Everything was transparently done. Every contract that was budgeted for and awarded is on the ground.” They are verifiable.”