…accuses INEC of truncating people’s will
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Igbo elders under the umbrella of Igbo Elder’s Consultative Forum have rejected the outcome of the presidential and national assembly elections conducted last Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Igbo elders in a statement indicated that the outcome of the elections as being present by INEC does not reflect what transpired at the polls, insisting that INEC was making an attempt to truncate the will of the people.
Former governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who signed the statement, pointed out that INEC failed to deploy technology and other measures as promised, and also operated against the electoral act and its own operational guidelines.
The statement reads: “the Igbo elders have met, critically reviewed and analyzed the last weekend’s elections conducted in Nigeria by INEC and resolved to register our discontent with the entire process as has been done by so many other stakeholders including the international observers.
“Reports from various parts of the country indicated that INEC has woefully failed to live up to expectation despite repeated assurances by its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and other officers that the Commission was ready to conduct free, fair and credible elections in the country.
“The most worrisome aspect of this woeful failure of INEC is its inability to keep or observe its own standards, which it sets out for itself. It is on record that the electoral materials and polling officials arrived very late in different polling centres in various parts of the country.
“In some cases, there were no security agents in many polling units, thereby, exposing electoral officers and voting materials to unimaginable risks and dangers. Some electoral officers could not even locate their polling units. Yet, INEC had all the time in the world to plan and deliver this election.
“In some cases the Bi-modal Accreditation Verification System (BIVAS) machines, sent to some centres were dysfunctional, as voters queued up patiently for several hours just to discharge their civic responsibilities. To add insult to injury, INEC ‘deliberately’ refused to upload or transmit the votes to the central server as stipulates in the 2022 electoral Act.
“In few places where INEC transmitted results, it was selective as only the Senate and House of Representatives results were uploaded, while the presidential results were blatantly abandoned, and in some cases ‘doctored’ to suit the interest of INEC paid masters.
“When confronted, INEC officials said they were directed by INEC headquarters not to upload the presidential results. Even the few presidential results released were doubtful and raised some questions on their authenticity.
“For example, the presidential results INEC released for Ekiti State indicated a discrepancy between the total number of accredited votes and the results announced. The total votes announced were more than the total accredited 301, 558 votes. And the results were uploaded at 2:11am on February 20, 2023, days before the election was conducted.
“The media reports that INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu, allegedly flew into Lagos on Saturday night in a private jet belonging to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are still begging for explanation from the Commission’s Chairman.
“Similarly, the reports that the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, stormed the INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt with heavy security, drove away party agents and started doctoring the Presidential results are yet to be refuted by the relevant authorities.
“The reports of naked intimidation of polling officials at the collation centres in some parts of the country, including Edo, Lagos, Kaduna by some Governors and highly placed public officers are worrisome.”
He also made reference to reports that indicated that some non-indigene voters were being beaten and harassed by some hired hoodlums for allegedly voting against APC in Lagos. “As we speak many reports of irregularities perpetrated or condoned by INEC and its paid masters are still coming.
“To this end, we are compelled to ask INEC to reverse its undignified role and ensure that the will of Nigerians in electing a popular, credible and competent President is not truncated by whatever reasons.
“We would join other credible, patriotic and progressive organizations and Nigerians to resist any attempt by INEC and its cohorts to resist the ground design to change, trample and truncate the will of Nigerians in electing a president of their choice.”