By Cross Udo, Abuja
The National Industrial Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, presided over by Justice M.A Namtari yesterday dismissed the case of staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Mr Sunday Ushie, and upheld the commission in terminating his appointment on August 7, 2020.

Ushie, who worked in the ICT Department of INEC, was accused of tampering with data base of INEC on the eve of the 2019 general elections and engaged in unauthorised transfer of registered voters without INEC permission, and was also found in possession of several Permanent Voters Cards contrary to the rules of INEC.

INEC constituted a panel at its Uyo State office to investigate these infractions and he was found culpable, and as required by INEC Staff Conditions of Service, the Panel’s Report was escalated to INEC Headquarters in Abuja for total review and re-investigation.

The Committee constituted at the Headquarters to re-investigate the infractions still returned a guilty verdict on Ernest Ushie as a result of which his appointment was terminated.

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He, however, challenged the termination of his appointment at the National Industrial Court, Uyo but the suit was dismissed.
INEC was defended in the suit by Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN) and he applauded the judgement as timely, saying it will henceforth serve as deterrence to permanent and ad hoc staff of INEC who may be used by politicians to compromise and sabotage the vision and mission of INEC to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

Also pending awaiting court verdict over the 2019 election are two more cases of the dismissed staff who acted as a supervising officer (SPO) at Nsit Ubium who gave out 10 result sheets (form EC8A) to politicians and could not account for them on the eve of the election that led to violence.