By Uche Clement

Authorities in Edo State have intensified their search for Mr. Ajali Ignatius Efe, an adhoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following allegations that he leaked sensitive electoral information to opposition figures challenging the outcome of the February 25, 2023 presidential elections.

According to police sources, Ignatius is suspected of supplying confidential figures to his father, a former member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His father allegedly vowed to expose what he described as the manipulation and alteration of results in favour of the APC.

In a further development, police have formally declared Ignatius wanted, alleging that he was the insider who provided documents and vote tallies used by opposition leaders to support their legal petitions against the official results.

Eyewitnesses claim that security operatives have raided Ignatius’s residence on at least two occasions, during which he was reportedly beaten and warned that he would face merciless punishment if he continued associating with opposition groups. Human rights observers have cautioned that his case reflects a growing pattern of intimidation against electoral officers and their families.

A particularly tense incident was reported on May 4, 2023, when suspected political thugs stormed the Ajali family residence. During the attack, his father was allegedly abducted, while Mr. Ignatius narrowly escaped a mob assault and possible arrest by fleeing through the back of the house. He has not been seen at his home since that night.

Family members, however, strongly deny the allegations. My husband is innocent. He is being persecuted because of his father’s political shift from APC to PDP,” his wife, Mrs. Ajali Favour, told reporters.

As of press time, Mr. Ignatius’s whereabouts remain unknown. The police have appealed to members of the public to provide any useful information that could lead to his arrest by reporting to the nearest police station.