The National Industrial Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Friday, affirmed the sacking of an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accused of tampering with the commission’s database.
The affected official, Sunday Ushie, was working in the ICT department of INEC headquarters in Uyo before INEC terminated his appointment on 7 August 2020.
INEC had discovered that Mr Ushie tampered with the commission’s database on the eve of the 2019 general elections and was engaged in the unauthorised transfer of registered voters from different local government areas in Akwa Ibom to another and also did so to other states outside Akwa Ibom.
He was also found to be in possession of several permanent voter cards without the permission of INEC.
It is suspected that Mr Ushie may have been working in the interest of some powerful politicians in Akwa Ibom.
Mr Ushie, in November 2020, filed a suit at the National Industrial Court, Uyo, challenging the termination of his appointment with INEC.
He said his job was wrongfully terminated and, therefore, the court should order INEC to reinstate him and pay him N20 million as a relief.
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But the judge, M.A. Namtari, dismissed the suit, saying that INEC was right in its decision to terminate Mr Ushie’s appointment.
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Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, defended INEC in the suit.
Mr Onwuenwunor applauded the judgement, which he said was timely, as Nigeria was about to go through another general election in 2023.
He said the court judgement will serve as a deterrence to permanent and ad hoc officials of INEC who may want to connive with politicians to compromise and sabotage the country’s electoral process
