FORMER head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday gave account of how officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC) allegedly colluded with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), along with law enforcement agencies, to rig the recent by-elections held in Bauchi and Gombe states.

Buhari, who said that it had become crystal clear that the integrity of the new INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, was  not enough to guarantee free and fair elections next year, alleged that INEC officials reduced the elections to a money-spinning business.

Buhari, whose view was conveyed by Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) national Publicity Secretary, Mr Aghanya Dennis, in a press release, urged Nigerians to brace up if they did not want a repeat of the sham elections of 2007.

He claimed that most INEC workers that were involved in the by-elections turned them into an opportunity to make quick money by compromising most aspects of their job.

He said while about 90 per cent of voters could not cast their votes during the polls because of the shoddy state of the voter register, the commission announced bogus figures in favour of the PDP.

He accused the PDP national leadership of naivety for saying the CPC did not do well, because the party was relatively unknown among voters.

He argued that the dismal performance of the PDP-led administration was sufficient for voters to effect a change of guard during a credible election, alleging that public wish was frustrated by INEC officials colluding with the PDP to declare “bloated figures just to justify their so-called victory.”

According to the former leader, while most of the INEC ad hoc staff were forced to do the bidding of INEC officials who gave them the job, the few, who were not ready to sell their conscience, were beaten up and told that they would not enjoy INEC’s patronage in subsequent elections.

Buhari also alleged that some security agents aided and abetted rigging in the by-elections by colluding with top functionaries to the governors of the two states.

He alleged that functionaries were seen snatching ballot boxes with the aid of security agents, adding that instead of arresting the culprits, the law enforcement agents apprehended eight CPC members and that they were currently locked up at Force Headquarters in Abuja.

“If the PDP does every wrong thing and gets free with it, in addition to using the security agents to intimidate the electorate, where do we go from there? Such a system will be doomed forever,” he warned.

Suspecting a possible connivance of the police top hierarchy in the unjustified arrests, Buhari said the residence of one of its governorship candidates for 2010, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu (Dan China), was attacked by more than 30 suspected assassins a few days after the poll.

“Meanwhile, because of such previous attempt on his life, police personnel were detailed to guard his house. But, at the time the criminals struck, all the policemen, who were supposed to be on duty, were said to have gone to buy something,” Buhari said.

He said the PDP was hell-bent on retaining political power for the next 60 years by manipulating the electoral process to the detriment of the welfare of the majority of Nigerians.

Buhari said though Professor Jega might mean well for the country as INEC boss, the PDP was averse to  a credible polls, unless the Nigerians were ready to assert their rights.

“The outing in Bauchi and Gombe states is a show of shame and needs to be condemned. That exercise should be cancelled while a fresh election conducted. All those found to be involved in perpetrating the crime should be prosecuted and all innocent people held on the orders of the IG be released forthwith,” Buhari urged.

However, he called on the IG to order the arrest of those that assaulted the governorship aspirants of his party in Bauchi.

He also wanted the police boss to set up a panel of inquiry on all the allegations concerning the by-elections.

Meanwhile, INEC will unveil the long-awaited 2011 general election timetable before September 11, a source close to the commission said in Abuja on Tuesday.

The source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the delay in the release of the election guidelines was due to the late signing of the electoral act after its passage by the National Assembly.

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