Embattled INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu who some political parties have accused of connivance to manipulate the outcome of the elections
As the contestation for the Saturday February 25 elections results over massive rigging and manipulations drags on, three political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), the major opposition party, the Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Party (ADP) have passed a vote of no confidence on Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
The parties urged him to resigned having failed the integrity test and allow another credible Nigerian, outside INEC to continue and conclude the process. They said the election would have been most peaceful, but that INEC deliberately destroyed the process and that what happened was vote allocation and not election.
The parties are of the view that election are manipulated after leaving the polling units and that today, election results are still being manipulated in Rivers State and other areas and that the election should be repeated.
The political parties spoke at a joint Press Conference in Abuja attended by Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorcha Ayu, Chairman of the LP, Mr. Julius Abumere and chairman of the ADP, Liyel Imoke and other members of the political parties.
Speaking for the parties, Abumere said they are addressing the press conference as a result of deliberate refusal of INEC chairman to respect pre-election commitment to upload election results right from the polling units, using bvas.
“His refusal has compromised the result of the election. INEC officers from all over the federation failed to transmit result from polling units, those who tried could not, some said there is directive from seniors not to upload results, some said password to access the server has been changed”, he said.
According to him, INEC compromised the integrity of the election even before the collation began. Adding that section 65 of the electoral act states that the collation officers shall transmit the result in a manner prescribe by the electoral act.
According to him, failure to transmit results require that all result be uploaded before the announcement of results. He said that the expectation was that INEC will conduct election with Electoral Acts and bylaws but recanted.
“This election is not free and far from being fair or transparent. There is ongoing cancellation of results all over the country in opposition of stronghold to shore up results for the APC. The cancellations renders the election inconclusive”, he said.
He said the result has been irretrievably compromised and that they have lost faith in the process and will not be part of the collation. “We demand that this sham be cancelled and call for another election in line with laid down procedures of the electoral act”, he said.
They called on the international community that results being announced has been heavily doctored and does not reflect the will of Nigerians. They declared a vote of no confidence on INEC chairman and that he lacks the moral integrity to continue the process. “He should step aside as INEC chairman and for a credible person outside INEC to take control to restore the integrity of the process”, he said, adding that they respect the view of Nigerians who put their fate in the to defend their votes.
They called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stand by his vow to bequeath free fair and transparent election to Nigeria. They urged him to use his office to save” your integrity and save Nigerians from forces who want to truncate the will of Nigerians”, he said calling on Nigerians to defend democracy.
Also speaking, Sen. Dino Melaye said nine parties staged walkout but that only three were invited for the press conference.
