How ex-Minister shared taxpayer money to INEC officials
According to EFCC investigators, Diezani disbursed billions of Naira to INEC officials in a bid to win re-election for Jonathan
Nigeria's Minister of Petroleum Diezani Alison-Madueke addresses delegates at the opening of the Nigeira Oil & Gas 2014 conference in a file photo
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As desperation from the Goodluck Jonathan camp to win re-election for the former President reached fever pitch, Diezani took to bribing more than 100 personnel on the payroll of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It was a last ditch attempt to rig the election for the PDP.
All of the bribe money came from coffers belonging to the federal government, investigators have said.
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The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) accounts became Diezani's personal playthings, EFCC sources allege.
"In all, Diezani bribed electoral officers to the tune of N23B", an EFCC source told Pulse on the basis of anonymity because he hadn't been authorised to comment on the subject.
Among the INEC officers who benefited from the Diezani bazaar is Mrs. Gesila Khan.
Khan served as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Rivers State during the 2015 general elections. She's currently the REC for Cross River State.
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According to investigators, Khan allegedly received close to N200M from Diezani to rig the Rivers vote for Jonathan; a task investigators allege she dutifully carried out.
The EFCC has been spreading its dragnet further afield.
Investigators say electoral officers across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones also benefited from the Diezani bazaar.
EFCC operatives have since picked up Edem Okon Effanga, Mohammed Zannah, Godwin Maiyaki, Ishaku Yusuf, Babagana Malami and Immaculata Asuquo, among a host of others.
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"We'll soon be shepherding them to the courtrooms for prosecution", another EFCC operative told Pulse.
Jonathan lost the 2015 contest to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
Diezani is presently holed up in the United Kingdom where she's reportedly battling Cancer.
She had fled the country as soon as Jonathan lost the election.
Anti-graft operatives have since seized a slew of choice property across the country belonging to the former Nigerian Minister.
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