INEC Deceived Nigerians, Presidential Polls Should Be Cancelled –CSO

The South East Network for Democracy and Accountability has reached out to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The group called on INEC to cancel and reschedule the just concluded presidential and National Assembly election.

The group in a statement made available to The PUNCH correspondent on Sunday, stated that her position was based on alleged irregularities reported by her members who monitored the election, saying many Nigerians were disappointed in the polls.

In the statement signed by the convener of SENDA, Mr Acha Emmanuel and the secretary Pastor Nwokocha Innocent, the group lamented that the outcome of the election did not meet required standard of what could be accepted as a credible election anywhere in the world.

The group insisted that the results announced by INEC has left many with questions begging for answers.

Recall that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election in the early hours of Wednesday last week.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his counterpart of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, have already approached the court to challenge the result of the election.

SENDA, however, frowned that INEC dashed the hope millions of Nigerians electorates after making several promises that the commission would organise a free and fair election, where as the result failed to achieve a minimum standard of electoral credibility.

The group faulted INEC for failing to adhere to the electronic transmission of election results from the polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal as stipulated in the Electoral Act 2022 as amended.

It also noted that INEC disenfranchised many eligible voters in the South East geopolitical zone as a result of late arrival of man and material resources at polling units.

The group stated, “Nigerian democracy can no longer be described as nascent. Hence no excuse can be justifiably adduced for the very obvious lapses witnessed so far in our elections since 1999 till date.

“There were series of assurances and reassurances by INEC towards the much anticipated election most especially as it relates to the deployment and use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as well as the INEC Result Viewing Portal in the general elections.

“The failure of INEC to keep to her promise of immediate transmission of polling unit results after several allegations were levelled against INEC on her alleged intentions to undermine the outcome of the process but as usual, the commission in such circumstance would posit a strong stance as exemplified with her press release made on Friday, November 11, 2022 in response to the allegation on the plot to abandon the transmission of polling unit results to IReV portal.

“Deductions from INEC responses and statements and comparing them with the reality on ground, it is fair to say that INEC has proved to be opposite of what they promised Nigerians.

“It also revealed the fact that INEC primarily was not in charge of its technological affairs which made it impossible to transmit electronically on the day of the election or perhaps, there was unexplained lapses that the commission is yet to explain to the Nigerian voting population who reposed so much confidence in her ability to deliver, true, credible, free and fair election.

“We hereby agree with various national and international stakeholders that the just concluded elections lack transparency and failed to achieve minimum standards of electoral credibility.

“We join many Nigerians and stakeholders to condemn the conduct of the just concluded presidential and National Assembly Elections as it lacks credibility and merits by all standards and therefore calls for its cancellation and rescheduling. Nigerians have invested so much in this election that they deserve a credible outcome.”