Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 08.10.2006

Presidency sources told Sunday Tribune that following a compilation of the alleged sins of Iwu by some insiders in the Commission, two seniopr officers of the Commission from the South South geo-political zone, are being positioned for the job.

What is not clear so far to the plotters is how President Olusegun Obasanjo would react to the moves.

Sources told Sunday Tribune that the insiders in the commission, playing on the suspicion that the Presidency was disatisfied with the way Iwu was carrying out his assignment had compiled his 'sins' and forwarded same to the Presidency.

Some of the issues the INEC chieftains believed the Presidency was unhappy about included the adoption of the Direct Data Capture (DDC) for the registration of the voters' register, which would also entail the opening of databank for thumbprint and photographs of voters and the use of electronic components as part of the 2007 elections.

It was believed that such measures could derail the attempt by certain forces to influence the outcome of elections. "Iwu is seen as someone who wants to take the computerisation matter too far, the measures he is introducing could upset some rigging plans," a source said, adding that plans have been concluded to either force INEC to adopt the manual method of registration for the 2007 election or get the chairman replaced by ensuring that the presidency is dissatisfied with him.

Iwu is due to appear before the Senate on Tuesday to demonstrate the electronic component of the voters' registration machines. Sources also said that the N20 billion INEC cheque, which was rejected by the Central Bank last week may have been a part of the deal to frustrate the Commission's preparations for the 2007 elections.

It was gathered that some emmisaries, claiming to be speaking the minds of some power brokers have already sent emmissaries to the Chairman to immediately jettison the use of eletronic register for the forthcoming elections.

The Commission's funds, with which it hoped to place orders for the equipment are still trapped between the Central Bank and the Due Process Unit of the Presidency.

But it was confirmed that the INEC Chairman has decided to set aside some areas as special areas for the purpose of the registration. The special areas are to flag off the voters' registration with the use of Direct Data Capture machines in view of the shortage of the equipment.

Iwu was said to have told his Comissioners that instead of postponing the exercise, the registration should commence in the special areas, with difficult terrains, while it woulkd be done afterwards in the other areas across the country.

The exercise is to start with 150,000 units of the DDC machines. But no official of the electoral Commission could be reached for reaction on Friday.