The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that administrative lapses on the part of two of its members of staff in Osun State occasioned their suspension.
The commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun State,  Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, said the two officials were not suspended for allegedly rigging the results of the August 9 governorship election in Osun State as was being speculated.
He also absolved the All Progresives Congress (APC) candidate and winner  of the governorship election, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, of conniving with the suspended members of staff to allegedly rig the election. The commission had on Monday announced the suspension of Messrs Tope Fabunmi and Olusegun Esinoye, electoral officers in Osogbo and Olorunda local government areas of Osun State respectively.
The REC, in a statement by the Chief Public Affairs Officer of the commission, Mrs. Adenike Tadese said: “The two electoral officers, Mr. Tope Fabunmi (Osogbo Local Government) and Mr. Anthony Olusegun Esinoye (Obokun Local Government) were not suspended based on alleged collusion with the APC to manipulate electoral process in favour of the party in Osogbo and Obokun local government councils respectively.
“They were neither culpable of selling ballot papers to the APC nor manipulation of Form EC8C to favour the APC and voiding of PDP votes counted in favour of the APC.”
According to him: “Mr. Fabunmi was suspended based on administrative lapses occasioned in the course of discharging his duties.
“Mr. Esinoye, electoral officer of Obokun Local Government on August 7, 2014 was alleged by the people of Obokun Local Government Area of diverting sensitive election materials and was arrested by the police in the area,” he added.
He, however, stated: “It is important at this point to emphasis that INEC headquarters did not find the electoral officers culpable of working for the APC to rig the election as purported by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”

Why we suspended electoral officers in Osun –INEC