IWU SIGHTED AT INEC, YET TO HAND OVER

Former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu was sighted at the commission's premises in Abuja yesterday, exactly one week after a presidential directive brought his tenure to an abrupt end.

Although no word was heard about Iwu's formal handover to the Acting Chairman, Mr. Philip Umeadi, as ordered by the presidency, Daily Sun learnt the brief visit might not be unconnected with that. His stay at the INEC headquarters did not last more than 15 minutes.

Iwu had told top officials of INEC last Thursday that his handover notes were not ready and promised to do the formal handover as soon as they were ready.

However, there were speculations at the weekend that he was not favourably disposed to handing over to Umeadi, the national commissioner in charge of ICT and publicity with whom he had a running battle during the later part of his tenure.

However, there were conflicting speculations yesterday that he might have indeed handed over to the Secretary of the commission, Alhaji Abdullahi Kaugama instead of Umeadi, but there was no official confirmation from INEC's public affairs department to that effect. Kaugama himself could not pick his calls yesterday, nor could he respond to a text inquiring about Iwu's sudden visit.

At the commission's headquarters, however, the Acting Chairman was busy yesterday, attending to official functions.