EKO HOT BLOG reports that the vice-presidential candidates of the Labour Party, LP, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Datti Baba-Ahmed and Ifeanyi Okowa respectively, have asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to cancel the general election.
Baba-Ahmed and Okowa made this demand while addressing a joint press conference at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
Addressing a joint press conference in Abuja, Okowa and Datti said that the presidential election held Saturday cannot stand because it was a rape on democracy and was unconstitutional.
The text of the press statement read by the PDP Presidential running mate, Governor Okowa said, “We wish to state for the records that last weekend’s election was a sham. It was neither free nor fair. What played out yesterday at the National Collation Center exposes the National Chairman of playing to a predetermined script.
“Our position remains that the election and transmission of the results must be in tandem with the Electoral Act and the INEC guidelines.
“There is no doubt that INEC is under a statutory obligation to transmit election results electronically. Paragraph 38 of the INEC manual made pursuant to section 149 of the Electoral Act 2022 and the 1999 constitution as amended provides for this.
That paragraph, which deals with the transmission of results at the polling units, is crucial, and it imposes statutory obligations on the part of INEC to upload polling units results on its portal.
“There is no doubt that polling units results are the pyramid upon which other results are built. Therefore, it is required that the moment polls come to a close and the results are declared, the results must be uploaded on INEC server or portal.”, Okowa stated.
According to Okowa, “Paragraph 38 of INEC Manual 2022 made pursuant to the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and section 149 of of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that: “On completion of all the Polling Unit voting and results /procedures, the Presiding Officer shall:
“Electronically transmit or transfer the result of the Polling Unit, direct to the collation system as prescribed by the Commission.
“Use the BVAS to upload a scanned copy of the EC8A to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as prescribed by the Commission.
“Take the BVAS and the original copy of each of the forms in tamper evident envelope to the Registration Area/Ward Collation Officer, in the company of Security Agents.
The Polling Agents may accompany the Presiding Officer to the RA/Ward Collation Centre.” It is mandatory and compulsory. INEC has no option.
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