APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
Two leading parties in the presidential race in Nigeria, the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend the ongoing collation of results of Saturday’s presidential election.
The officials of the parties said in two separate press briefings on Monday in Abuja that INEC had failed to follow the electoral guidelines in the conduct of the elections.
The Director General of the LP presidential campaign council, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, stated that INEC and President Muhammadu Buhari have failed to deliver on their promise of free and fair elections.
Osuntokun said that the party had received reports of electoral malpractices across the country and accused INEC of not sticking to its guidelines.
According to him, INEC should carry out a comprehensive review of the exercise before deciding on whether or not to continue with the collation exercise.
The PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologuagba, accused INEC of rigging the elections in favour of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC).
He also said that INEC violated the electoral act by failing to transmit the results to the INEC server.
The integrity of the exercise has been compromised, he said, alleging that INEC deliberately delayed the commencement of collation and rejected the ongoing collation process.
Meanwhile, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised an alarm that danger is lurking around the country over the alleged compromise of the ongoing election process.
Obasanjo appealed to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), to prevail on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, to stop the process and rectify the allegations raised against it from many quarters.
The presidential and parliamentary elections were held on Saturday and spilled over to Sunday and the collation of results is ongoing on Monday in Abuja.
Obasanjo in a personal letter titled, “An appeal for caution and rectification,” released on Monday, said that some politicians had compromised some electoral officials to make the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines not to work.
“I am constrained to speak at this point. I crave the indulgence of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency General Muhammadu Buhari, to make this statement because I have had opportunity to keep him aware of what I know is happening and the danger looming ahead.
“On many occasions in the past, I have not hesitated to point out lacuna in the action of the President and his government. But as far as the election issues are concerned, the President has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he will want to leave a legacy of free, fair, transparent and credible elections,” he said.
“Until last Saturday night, February 25, 2023, the good and noble plan and preparation for the elections seemed to be going well. For the Independent National Electoral Commission, a lot of money was spent to introduce Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the server for immediate transmission of results from polling units. It is no secret that INEC officials, at operational levels, have been allegedly compromised to make what should have worked not to work and to revert to manual transmission of results which is manipulated and the results doctored.
“The Chairman of INEC may claim ignorance but he cannot fold his hands and do nothing when he knows that election process has been corrupted and most of the results that are brought outside BVAS and server are not a true reflection of the will of Nigerians who have made their individual choice. At this stage, we do not need wittingly or unwittingly to set this country on fire with the greed, irresponsibility and unpatriotic act of those who allegedly gave money to INEC officials for perversion and those who collected the blood money.
“Let me appeal to the Chairman of INEC, if his hands are clean, to save Nigeria from the looming danger and disaster which is just waiting to happen. If the Chairman can postpone elections four days to the election, he can do everything to rectify the errors of the last two days – no BVAS, no result to be acceptable; and no uploading through Server, no result to be acceptable.
“Whereas, BVAS and Servers have been manipulated or rendered inactive, such results must be declared void and inadmissible for election declaration. Chairman INEC, I have thought that you would use this wonderful opportunity to mend your reputation and character for posterity.
“Your Excellency, President Buhari Muhammadu, tension is building up and please let all elections that do not pass the credibility and transparency test be cancelled and be brought back with areas where elections were disrupted for next Saturday, March 4, 2023, and BVAS and Server officials be changed. To know which stations or polling units were manipulated, let a committee of INEC staff and representatives of the four major political parties with the Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association look into what must be done to have hitch-free elections next Saturday.
“Mr. President, may your plan and hope for leaving a legacy of free, fair, transparent and credible election be realised. Mr. President, please don’t let anybody say to you that it does not matter or it is the problem of INEC. On no account should you be seen as part of the collusion or compromise. When the die is cast, it will be your problem as the Chief Executive of the nation. The Chairman of INEC may sneak out of the country or go back to his Ivory Tower. Your Excellency, thank you for hearing me out,” he said.
GIK/APA