Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) Archives

July 5, 2023

INEC breaks silence, commences review of 2023 elections

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday explained why it had kept mute on the divergent opinions expressed on its conduct, process and outcome of the 2023 general elections.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the explanation during the commission’s meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja to commence its post-election review of the general elections.

Yakubu noted that since the conclusion of the election, diverse opinions had been expressed by political parties, candidates, observers, analysts and the general public on aspects of the elections that took place in February and March.

He said that such diverse opinions should normally be expected, adding that INEC had welcomed all of them in as much as the purpose was to improve the future conduct of elections and to consolidate Nigeria’s democracy.

He said that the commission had consciously not joined in those commentaries in the immediate aftermath of the election for several reasons, including not to undermine the ongoing litigation process at the court.

He said that INEC’s preference was to listen more and draw lessons rather than join in the heated and often emotive public discussion on the election.

Yakubu added that since INEC’s plan was to conduct its own post-election review of the election, it saw no need to pre-empt the process.

“The Commission would not want to be seen as defensive or justificatory in joining the ongoing discussions.

“Finally, and perhaps most importantly, several issues around the election are subjudice and it is not the intention of the Commission to either undermine or promote the chances of litigants in the various election petition courts beyond what is required of us by the legal process.

“Indeed, practically anything coming from the Commission could be cited by litigants as either justifying their claims or an indication of bias against them,’’ Yakubu said.

The INEC boss said that notwithstanding the foregoing, it was necessary for INEC to look at the entire process before, during and after the election to make an informed assessment, learn full lessons from the election, going forward.

He also said that in spite of the diverse views on 2023 polls for a total of 1,491 constituencies (one Presidential, 28 Governorship, 109 Senatorial, 360 Federal Constituencies and 993 State Assembly seats) the general election had its own positive stories.

He added that INEC believed the election was one of the most meticulously prepared for in recent times when compared to some previous elections.

“Among the positive stories is that the security challenge which threatened to derail the elections did not materialise.

“Concerns that the polls will be disrupted by the perennial insecurity across the country fizzled out on Election Day as the elections were largely peaceful.

“Despite currency and fuel challenges and widespread attacks on our personnel and facilities nationwide, the Commission proceeded with the election as scheduled,’’ he said.

Yakubu said that the first set of elections, the Presidential and National Assembly, held as planned for the first time in the last four general elections conducted in the country.

He added that accreditation of voters using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) had generally been scored very high by voters.

“Our records show that the success rate for BVAS accreditation stands at 98 per cent compared to the Smart Card Reader’s 29.2 per cent during the 2019 general election.

“Above all, despite the divergent opinions about the outcome of the election, the overall outlook suggests that it is a fair reflection of a complex multi-party democracy,’’ Yakubu said.

He further said that INEC record showed that the elections produced the most diverse outcomes ever recorded since 1999.

“Today, five political parties produced state governors, seven parties won senatorial seats, eight are represented in the House of Representatives and nine in State Houses of Assembly.

“Clearly, the 10th National Assembly is certainly the most diverse in party representation since 1999.

“In some states around the country, different political parties control the legislative and executive arms of Government.

“What is clear from these records also is that the days of single party dominance of our national politics are probably gone.

“Furthermore, many prominent candidates lost in the constituencies they contested, and political parties lost in some of their presumed strongholds,’’ he said.

Yakubu said it must be acknowledged that there were also some challenges, which were structural, infrastructural and human in nature.

“Indeed, it is in furtherance of our determination to address the challenges as we prepare for future elections that the Commission is commencing its post-election review engagements today,’’ he explained.

July 3, 2023

INEC calls lone witness against Atiku as Tinubu begins defence of poll victory

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC)

President Bola Tinubu will on Tuesday, open his defence at the Presidential Election Petition Court,(PEPC) to defend his victory at the Feb. 25 presidential polls.

This is in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.

Counsel to President Tinubu, Mr Wole Olanipekun, SAN, made this known on Monday after the Independent National Electoral Commission,(INEC) closed its case against Atiku after calling a lone witness.

The electoral umpire opened and closed its case against the petitioners after calling the lone witness, Mr Lawrence Bayode and tendering some documentary exhibits in evidence.

One of the documents was a letter dated July 6, 2022, which Vice- President, Kashim Shettima,(the third respondent) wrote to the commission.

The letter was the notification of his decision to withdraw his candidature for senate under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) for the Borno central senatorial seat.

Bayode who was led in evidence by INEC’s lead counsel, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, introduced himself as a Deputy Director of ICT for the commission.

Under cross examination by Olanipekun, the witness, asserted that the presidential election was free, fair, credible and conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.

The witness, also told the court that the technical glitch that occurred on the election day did not affect the actual scores of the presidential candidates as manually computed by polling officers in the forms EC8As at the different polling units.

According to Bayode, INEC does not have an electronic collation system and results of the presidential election were manually collated and not electronically collated.

For his part, counsel to the APC, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN confronted the witness with a publication in Tribune newspaper where the commission had, a few days to the election said that it would no longer be able to go ahead with the electronic transmission of results.

The document was admitted in evidence amidst strong opposition from counsel to the petitioners’, Mr Chris Uche, SAN.

Uche, while cross examining the witness asked him if he was aware of the recently released European Union Observation Mission Report on the Presidential Election.

The witness said that he was aware of the report even though he had not read it.

The respondents opposed the tendering of the document in evidence but reserved their reasons until the final address stage.

The court, however admitted the document in evidence and marked it appropriately.

Uche proceeded to show the witness a certified true copy of the report and asked him to read a portion of the report where the EU said only 31 per cent of presidential election results uploaded on the IREV were mathematically correct.

They further said that this was evident of the extent of training the commission gave to polling unit staff.

The witness also read a portion of the report where the EU stated that the 2023 election was not a transparent and inclusive election as had been promised by the commission.

The witness insisted that the technological innovations introduced by the commission into the electoral process were to guarantee transparency and integrity of the results.

Uche, however, insisted that there was no technical glitch on the day of the presidential election and that the only glitch was human glitch or an INEC glitch.

After the witness was discharged from the witness box, counsel to INEC told the court that that was the case of the commission as it had no other witness to call or documents to tender.

Justice Haruna Tsammani, Chairman of the five-member panel of the court adjourned hearing in the petition until Tuesday.

June 20, 2023

INEC to Tribunal: Peter Obi asking for non-existent documents in petition against Tinubu

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Peter Obi, Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC)

The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has told the Presidential Election Petition Court(PEPC) that some documents requested by Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) candidate are non-existent.

INEC made the declaration on Tuesday.

Obi and the Labour Party (LP) are challenging the Feb. 25 election of President Bola Tinubu before the court in a petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023.

Respondents in the petition are INEC, President Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima and their All Progressives Congress (APC).

Giving evidence before the court, Mr Lawrence Bayode, Deputy Director, ICT at INEC told the court that out of the five documents Obi asked for; two were non-existent, while one was work in progress.

One of Obi’s witnesses, Ms Loretta Ogah, an ICT cloud engineer, said she contested election into the House of Representatives on the platform of Labour Party in Cross River, but lost the election.

Ogah was cross-examined by Mr Wole Olanipekun (SAN), counsel for Tinubu and Shettima.

She told the court that she sued INEC after her loss because the electoral umpire did not list her name on its portal as a result of network failure.

Also cross-examined by Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), counsel for APC, Ogah told the court that glitches did not occur on INEC portal on Feb. 25.

She said she did not know INEC’s password protocol as she was not INEC’s employee.

The court, presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani, adjourned further hearing till Wednesday.

April 16, 2023

INEC cancels rerun election in Akwa Ibom

Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)

Widespread violence has compelled INEC to cancel Saturday’s Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency rerun election in Akwa Ibom.

Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom, Dr Cyril Omorogbe, told newsmen in Uyo that the rerun election in the area was abysmal.

He said the election was cancelled in all the 17 polling units because of the snatching of electoral materials, including Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.

“The fact is that we had about four local government areas where we conducted election and one major one was Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency.

“We were there early enough and at about 8:30 a.m., polling units were opened. Couple of hours after we opened the polls, I received a call that BVAS machines were snatched.

“Two hours after that I received another report that was not good. So, the election in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency has been cancelled.

“They were fighting all through the local government area in the 17 polling units. I received a report from Collation Officers in the area that election did not hold.

“In the 17 polling units, materials were either snatched or the process disrupted.

“The Collation Officers have all returned and have written their reports. The result sheets they were supposed to fill are all here in Uyo. Apparently, there was no election,’’ he said.

Omorogbe expressed regret that the violence led to the shooting of one of the corps member on election duty in the leg.

He wondered why politicians would be so desperate in a federal constituency election to the extent of shooting an innocent corps member.

“The corps member was shot; he is still in the hospital,’’ he said.

Omorogbe added that no untoward reports had been received in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, and that results from there would be declared.

He said INEC would decide the next line of action on Ikono/Ini federal constituency after a meeting in Abuja.

INEC chairman Yakubu, Tinubu and his wife Senator Remi Tinubu

April 12, 2023

INEC replies Atiku: President-elect Tinubu did not need 25% of votes in FCT

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), President-Elect Bola Tinubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that Sen. Bola Tinubu, did not need to win 25 percent of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory to be declared winner of the election.

INEC stated this in its reply by its lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, to the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, before the tribunal.

INEC said the APC candidate met all the legal requirements to be so announced as the winner of the election.

It argued that a candidate must not secure 25 per cent votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to be declared winner, because the FCT was not accorded any special status in the constitution as being erroneously portrayed by some political parties and candidates who lost the election.

On why it returned Tinubu as the winner, INEC said the APC candidate scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in 29 states of the federation.

“Having scored at least one-quarter of the valid votes cast in 29 states, which is over and above the 2/3 states threshold required by the constitution, in addition to scoring the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election, the 2nd respondent was properly declared winner and returned as the president-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The 2nd respondent, having scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in the 29 states, has satisfied the requirement of the constitution to be declared winner of the presidential election, thus rendering the requirement of having 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory unnecessary”, the commission said.

“The 1st respondent denies that scoring 25 per cent of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory is a condition precedent to the declaration and return of a candidate in the presidential election,” it said.

INEC added that by the margin of lead, it did not act hastily, as claimed by Atiku and the PDP in declaring Tinubu the winner of the election.

It stressed that Tinubu scored “25 per cent of the valid votes cast in 29 states of the Federation to wit: Ekiti, Kwara, Osun. Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Yobe, Lagos, Gombe, Adamawa, Katsina, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Niger, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Kogi, Bauchi, Plateau, Bayelsa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto, Taraba, Borno and Rivers.”

While faulting the petitioners’ claim on the status of the FCT, INEC argued that “the provisions of the constitution apply to the FCT as if it were one of the states of the Federation.

The commission also argued that the use of the word ‘and’ in Section 134 (2) of the Constitution indicates nothing more than that in construing two-thirds of the states of the federation in which a candidate is required to score one-quarter of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory.”

It argued that by the provision of the constitution, the FCT “has the status of a state and ought to be recognised as if it was a state of the federation.”

It added that the FCT, beyond being the country’s capital, ‘has no special constitutional status over and above the other 36 states of the Federation to require a candidate in the presidential election to obtain at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in the FCT before being declared winner of the presidential election.

“The Federal Capital Territory is regarded as the 37 state of the federation and as such, a candidate needs to score 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in at least two-thirds of 37 states ( to be declared as winner in the presidential election).’

Abubakar, 1st petitioner and PDP, 2nd petitioner, in the petition marked: CA/PEPC/05/2023, had listed INEC, Tinubu and APC as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.

The petitioners are seeking the nullification of the election victory of Tinubu in the Feb 25 presidential poll.

Tinubu, who defeated 17 other candidates who took part in the election, scored a total of 8,794,726 votes, the highest of all the candidates.

While former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 6,984,520 votes in the poll; Obi came third with 6,101,533 votes.

However, the petitioners are asking the tribunal to set aside Tinubu’s victory and to declare Abubakar winner of the election.

They want an order mandating INEC to retrieve the certificate of return issued to the APC candidate or in the alternative conduct a fresh election.

Abubakar and PDP are contending that Tinubu was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast during the poll and that INEC violated its own regulations and provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, in the election conduct.

INEC argued that the declaration and return of Tinubu was not wrongful and was made in accordance with the provisions of Section 134 (2) (b) of the Constitution, having scored one quarter (25%) of the valid votes cast in 29 states which is beyond the constitutional threshold for such declaration.

It argued that, as against the request by Atiku and his party, he could not be declared winner by the tribunal because he failed to fulfil the constitutional requirement.

“The 1st petitioner (Atiku), failed to score, at least, one quarter of the votes cast in at least two-thirds of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory and as such could not have been declared the winner of the Presidential Election held on the 25th day of February 2023.”

As against the claim by the petitioners, INEC stated that “the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022 and was not marred by any corrupt practices.

‘That the 2nd respondent (Tinubu) was duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast in the election and his declaration and return as winner of the presidential election conducted on the 25th day of February, 2023 is lawful, valid and in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, 2022.

“Having satisfied the requirements of Section 134 (2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the return of the 2nd respondent as the winner of the presidential election conducted on 25th February, 2023 is lawful, valid and constitutional.

“The 2nd respondent was at the time of the election qualified to contest the election.

“The petitioners neither scored the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election nor scored not less than one-quarter of the lawful votes cast in at-least two-thirds of the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory and therefore the 1st petitioner (Atiku) is not entitled to be returned as the winner of the presidential election conducted on Feb. 25.”
INEC, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the petition

April 11, 2023

INEC tells Tribunal: Tinubu duly elected, Obi’s prayers not grantable

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Peter Obi, President-Elect Bola Tinubu, Senator Kashim Shettima

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) to dismiss a petition filed by Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying the reliefs sought are not grantable.

The commission argued that while Shettima, the vice president-elect, was duly nominated and sponsored to contest the election.

It also said that Tinubu and Shettima were duly declared and returned as elected and issued Certificates of Return having fulfilled the requirements of the constitution to be declared winners and returned.

INEC, the 1st respondent, stated this in its reply filed on Monday night at the PEPC’s Secretariat by its lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, in Abuja.

The commission prayed the court to either “dismiss or strike out the petition for being grossly incompetent, abusive, vague, nebulous, generic, general, non-specific, ambiguous, equivocal, hypothetical and academic.”

Obi, the 1st petitioner, and LP, the 2nd petitioner, had sued INEC, Sen. Bola Tinubu, Sen. Kashim Shettima and All Progressives Congress (APC) as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

The petitioners are seeking the nullification of the election victory of Tinubu and Shettima in the Feb 25 presidential poll.

Tinubu, who defeated 17 other candidates who took part in the election, scored a total of 8,794,726 votes, the highest of all the candidates.

While former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 6,984,520 votes in the poll; Obi came third with 6,101,533 votes.

Abubakar and PDP are also challenging the outcome of the poll in a separate petition.

However, in the petition marked: CA/PEPC/03/2023 filed by Obi and LP’s lead counsel, Livy Ozoukwu, they contended that Tinubu “was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the time of the election.”

The petitioners claimed there was rigging in 11 states, adding that they would demonstrate this in the declaration of results based on the uploaded results.

They said INEC violated its own regulations when it announced the result despite the fact that at the time of the announcement, the totality of the polling unit results had yet to be fully scanned, uploaded and transmitted electronically as required by the Electoral Act, among others.

In its notice of preliminary objection, INEC argued that the grounds on which the petition was based were defective, having regard to the vague and imprecise averments supporting the said grounds.

It said that the ground of the petitioners bordering on non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and corrupt practices did not disclose a reasonable cause of action for failure to plead specific particulars and figures as to how the alleged non-compliance complained of substantially affected the results of the election.

It said in view of the above argument, “Prayers 3, 5(i) and 5(11) of the petition predicated on the ground of non-compliance in Paragraph 20(11) of the petition are ungrantable.”

It further said that the ground of the petition that Tinubu was not elected by majority of lawful votes cast as contained in Paragraph 20(iii) of the petition was defective for failure to plead the alleged unlawful votes to be deducted and/or lawful votes to be credited to the petitioners.

INEC argued that the petitioners’ prayer to declare that Obi scored majority of lawful votes cast at the election and be declared winner was defective for failure to join necessary parties and for lack of requisite particulars and pleading to support same.

The commission said that though Obi was a candidate at the election, it however disagreed that denies that he has a right to be returned as elected, “not having polled majority of the lawful votes cast at the election and /or secured one quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all states in the federation and the FCT.”

The commission said all political parties intending to sponsor candidates in the election were required to submit lists of their agents and they were expected to observe the election process at their units, sign and collect result sheets on behalf of their political parties at the close of polls.

It argued that some of the political party agents whose names were on the list submitted to it were however absent at their polling units while some others who were present neglected to participate in the election process.

According to INEC, the petitioners (Obi and LP) did not have polling agents in all the polling units across Nigeria as they only submitted a list of 134, 874 polling agents which is 41, 972 short of the 176, 846 polling units across Nigeria.

It disagreed with the petitioners, insisting that they were not represented in many or some of the polling units in the country.

The commission argued that while Shettima, the vice president-elect, was duly nominated and sponsored to contest the election, it also said that Tinubu and Shettima were duly declared and returned as elected and issued Certificates of Return having fulfilled the requirements of the constitution to be declared winners and returned.

March 27, 2023

Enough of Political Rascality Over 2023 General Elections

2023 elections, Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)

Being the text of a Press Conference addressed by a Coalition of Civil Society Organizations on the outcome of the just concluded general elections and the State of the Nation today, Monday, 27th March, 2023.

Preamble

We want to start by passing our warmest regards and salute to NIGERIANs for their commitment to the unity of Nigeria by coming out to express their democratic right in the just concluded general elections, we also commend all the institutions that took active part in the exercise which includes INEC, all the Security agencies, EFCC, Members of the Fourth Estate/the Media and the accredited local and international observers.

We in the civil society community have watched recent events in the nation’s body polity with keen interest. We have observed this negative trend since the end of the recently held 2023 General Elections notwithstanding the inconclusiveness of two states gubernatorial elections, with deep feeling of anger and disbelief regarding the effect that the country seems to be moving away from the path of sanity and civility to a steady descent to anarchy and chaos.

Due to this, we as democrats, can no longer fold our arms and do nothing as responsible stakeholders in the Nigerian project.

For the purpose of emphasis, what the country has been passing through since the 2023 general elections is nothing more than political rascality, irresponsibility, crudity, recklessness, insensitivity and treasonable acts which threaten our nation’s democracy and national security.

As you all know, we have been active players in Nigeria’s political life since the days of military despotism in the 80’s and 90’s.

We have even been very active since our tertiary education days as young adults till now and our roles in the civil society movement are very much well known and documented.

For the avoidance of doubt, our series of advocacy have brought us to follow in the footsteps of leading lights in the civil society movement such as the likes of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Beko Ransome Kuti, Anthony Enahoro, Baba Omojola, Alfred Ilenre, Chima Ubani, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Cmdr. Dan Suleiman, Alao Aka Bashorun, Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, Ola Oni, Arthur Nwankwo, Prof Jadesola Akande, Alhaja Raliat Daniju, all of blessed memory.

We are also glad that some of the shinning lights such as Chief Ayo Opadokun, Prof Wole Soyinka, Dr. Keziah Awosika, Fred Agbeyegbe, Ayo Obe, Titi Akosa, Prof Femi Obayori, Biodun Aremu etc are still alive but remain sad that the country of our dreams that was hoped and laboured for, is still far away from the proverbial Eldorado.

It is to the credit of these patriots and many more persons of like minds and interest, that they were able to galvanize the society for good governance and democracy in their lifetime and thus played critical roles in terminating military dictatorship in Nigeria. Their heroic stance and actions are well acknowledged and receipted by history.

Collectively with these giants, we sacrificed sweat, limbs and lives of the Nigerian people at great costs to birth this democracy in 1999 and we will not fold our arms and watch it derided, demarketed, maligned, discredited and truncated by elements that lack democratic ethos and credentials.

We refer to characters who lack proper understanding of democracy and its values and are not ready to learn, have obstinately refused to imbibe the tenets of democracy which is about the will of the majority over the minority as expressed by all Nigerians who came out to vote at the polls.

Following the fair, successful and credible conduct of the 2023 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whom we commend for the marvelous work it has done despite all the landmines laid in its path, we have watched with bated breadth and shock, how some characters are plotting to truncate our hard earned democracy at all costs through treasonable and subversive calls for the installation of an interim government.

These unpatriotic elements have resorted to fake news, hate speech, lies, falsehood, misinformation and campaign of blackmail and calumny against all known national institutions with a view to arm twisting and blackmailing them to toe their ignoble and undemocratic line.

Wickedly of them, their sinister and unpatriotic actions have caused threats to the lives of Nigerians because their party and candidate lost an election.

If we all recall, while INEC was busy with the collation of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections results, two bitter and sore losers presidential candidates and members of their political parties having seen the handwriting of defeat on the wall via their manually collated party agents results from the polling units, to the wards, local government levels and state collation centres, started calling for the cancellation of the presidential election midway citing irregularity of non uploading of the results to the IRev by INEC and sadly, this irresponsible, insensitive, reckless, provocative and treasonable call was echoed by a former President of Nigeria whose place is cemented in our political history as the progenitor of do or die politics, who supervised the most scandalous elections in our national life.

Ladies and gentlemen, we want it placed on record, that we condemn in totality the pockets of violence, voters intimidation and harassment which occurred in some polling stations during the elections and we demand that the security agencies investigate and take appropriate action to remedy these infractions that have become a recurring decimal across the country at every election cycle.

However, we reject in strong terms the attempt to taint the credibility of the 2023 general elections by anti democratic elements who have taken their campaign of calumny against the successful and credible conduct of the elections to a ridiculous height by describing it as the worst in Nigeria’s history, that it was marred by electoral violence and voters suppression which is at variance with the facts on the ground.

According to a report published by socioeconomic research firm SBM, voters intimidation, harassment and assault were only reported in 5% of the polling stations nationwide. This figures reflect a downward trend of violence. The 2023 general elections was the least violent in Nigeria’s election history and the data of election history below will validate our position.

Elections Years/deaths
1964/65 – 200
1993 – 100
1999 – 80
2003 – 100
2007 – 300
2011 – 800
2015 – 100
2019 – 150
2023 – 13-28

From the report, we can confirm that 13 persons were killed in 36 incidents across Nigeria, but this figure could go as high as 28 if we consider some media reports of deaths which is subject to verification.

Thus, like we say, data don’t lie, so how can any responsible person be engaged in lies, falsehood and blackmail of the 2023 general elections in the face of obvious facts that its violence rate shows a steady decline unlike in previous elections?

It is a well known fact that Nigeria operates a constitutional democracy in which the process for the installation of a government has been prescribed as through universal suffrage (election) by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The same Constitution also provides room for aggrieved parties to seek redress for any perceived infraction through the Election Petitions Tribunal and the Courts.

Nowhere in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is it stipulated that when an election) is conducted and results declared, that the aggrieved parties, candidates and supporters can resort to street protests, threats of violence, call for cancellation of election or installation of an interim government.

The Constitution does not permit for aggrieved candidate(s) or party to engage in peddling of fake news, hate speech, lies, falsehood, misinformation, incitements, campaign of blackmail, intimidation and calumny against the state through threats of breakdown of law and order.

The Constitution does not permit for aggrieved candidate(s) or party to engage in peddling of fake news, hate speech, lies, falsehood, misinformation, incitements, campaign of blackmail, intimidation and calumny against the state through threats of breakdown of law and order.

Any party, candidate or its agents resorting to the above mentioned anti- democratic acts and threats to national security under our laws, is liable for treason and we urge the government to activate all its law enforcement agencies to act swiftly to prevent this ticking bomb that threaten our collective peaceful co-existence.

We are shocked and amused that while going to court to challenge the outcome of the presidential election which was conducted successfully and creditably by INEC in which they lost, same aggrieved candidates and their party are in the same breadth hypocritically applauding and commending the conduct of national and state houses of assembly and governorship elections by same INEC in which they won, these political parties, its candidates and agents have been making provocative, irresponsible, insensitive, reckless, undemocratic and subversive statements against democracy and national security through interviews, comments, sponsored rallies which is condemnable and unacceptable.

We also condemn in strong terms, the subversive and unGodly sermons from anti democratic elements accomplices on the pulpit who have desecrated the altar of God for political expediency.

Everyday, the sensibilities of Nigerians are assaulted and traumatized by the so called men of God denigrating the Lord’s temple for filthy political lucre which is very sad, unfortunate, reprehensible and despicable.

We however want to use this opportunity to admonish these agents of destabilization, that as Nigerians who went to the polls peacefully and orderly to exercise our franchise on election day and even observe the elections, we will no longer fold our arms and watch them discredit and undermine our democracy and national security for their selfish end.

We state that as organizations which observed the 2023 general elections under our umbrella body, we affirm that the elections were conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the electoral Act 2022 and the outcome reflected the will of the people as expressed at the polls.

The treasonable comments and conducts being exhibited over an election that was creditably conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, which they lost is becoming embarrassing and unbearable.

The silence of the majority of Nigerians who voted for the President-elect and other candidates who won at the polls, must not be mistaken for cowardice, enough is enough!

We commend the media for the professionalism and objectivity exhibited before, during and after the elections and appeal to them to continue to uphold the ethics of the profession just as we charge them to educate and sensitize innocent and peace loving Nigerians on the tenets of democracy which is being daily debased, abused and assaulted by these anti democratic elements just to confuse and incite the people for selfish end, enough is enough!

Finally, we commend our hardworking and tireless security and anti graft agencies for their professionalism, impartiality and dedication to duty which contributed in no small measure to the success and credibility of the elections and particularly urge the security agencies to rein in these anti democratic elements to face the law for subversion and treason where it is established after investigation.

Enough is Enough of political rascality over the 2023 general elections.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Thank you all for your attention.

Yours Sincerely,

Razaq Olokoba
Convener
Campaign for Dignity in Governance

Nelson Ekujumi
Co-Convener
Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate

Titi Akosa
Co-Convener
Center for 21st Century Issues

Raji Rasheed Oyewumi
Co-Convener
Movement for Democratic Change

Alex Omotehinse
Co-Convener
Center for Human and Socio-economic Rights

March 26, 2023

INEC gives Certificates of Return to governors-elect, others from March 29

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu

INEC has fixed Wednesday, March 29 to Friday March 31 as days for the issuance of Certificates of Return to governors, deputy governors-elect and state Houses of Assembly members-elect.

Chairman of INEC Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye made the declaration in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday.

“By the provisions of Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Commission is mandated to issue a certificate of return within 14 days to every candidate who has been returned elected under the law.

“Pursuant to the provision, the Commission has fixed Wednesday March 29, Thursday, March 30 and Friday, March 31 for the issuance of Certificates of Return to those elected on March 18.

“The presentation will take place in INEC offices in each state of the federation,’’ Okoye stated.

He added that specific dates for the issuance of the certificates would be communicated to those elected by the Resident Electoral Commissioners and Administrative Secretaries of the various states.

INEC chairman Yakubu, middle, and other officials of the agency

March 11, 2023

INEC to PDP: Go to court, stop attacking Yakubu

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), PDP, Professor Mahmood Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to desist from making libellous allegations against its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, gave the advice on Friday in Abuja, while responding to PDP’s demand on Yakubu to resign from his position.

Oyekanmi said the call, the second by the PDP, was misplaced.

“Interestingly, the PDP did not provide any convincing evidence to back up all the spurious allegations it listed as Yakubu’s “infractions”.

“To be sure, the PDP failed to provide any evidence to substantiate the allegations of Yakubu’s brazen violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines, and criminal manipulation and alteration of election results”.

“The PDP also did not give the evidence to prove its claims that Prof. Yakubu “sabotaged the uploading and transmission of results from polling units,” he said.

Oyekanmi said that besides, the “several evidences” that the PDP claimed “abound in the six geo-political zones of the country where winning figures scored by the PDP were switched in favour of the APC” were also not laid bare.

“To be sure, INEC does not rig elections. Rather, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has, since its introduction, among other innovations, ensured the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring that only properly registered voters are allowed to vote on election day.”

Oyekanmi advised the PDP to toe the part of honour and pursue its case in court.

“It is common knowledge that the PDP has rejected the outcome of the presidential election and has vowed to challenge it in court.

“The path of honour for the party, therefore, is to pursue its case in court, armed with all the evidences at its disposal and wait for the court’s decision.

”But going about canvassing the same issues the party intends to plead in court on the pages of newspapers and calling for the resignation of the INEC Chairman is like putting the cart before the horse.

“More importantly, the PDP is hereby reminded that making libelous allegations against the person of the INEC Chairman is actionable. The party should henceforth desist from the practice,” Oyekanmi said.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba, addressing a press conference in Abuja said that the PDP had further reviewed the conduct of Feb. 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.

Ologunagba alleged that the elections were conducted in violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the results were manipulated to subvert the will of Nigerians.

He said PDP had reviewed the move by INEC to reconfigure the BVAS, erase and destroy evidence of the Presidential election.

He said the action was aimed at denying Nigerians and political parties, especially PDP and its candidate access to relevant information required to prosecute it case at the Presidential Election Tribunal.

Ologunagba called on Inspector General of Police and Director General of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) to immediately commence investigations into alleged electoral violations and manipulations by INEC.

He also called the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate allegations that certain top officials of INEC were heavily compromised financially to manipulate the electoral process.

March 8, 2023

Why INEC Postponed governorship election: Full statement

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it decided to shift the governorship election till 18 March.

The election, along with state house of assembly elections was initially scheduled for Saturday, March 11.

In a statement on Wednesday night, INEC explained that it shifted the poll because of its inability to re-configure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines early enough for the state elections.

The BVAS were used for the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.

On 3 March, the Presidential Election Tribunal granted ex parte order allowing Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party examine materials used for the election.

INEC on Thursday got the Tribunal to vary the order so that it could reconfigure the BVAS for the election.

INEC said the decision came too late. It thus decided to postpone the poll by one week.

A top official said: We need at least three days to reconfigure the BIVAS & today’s Court of Appeal favourable ruling on our request to vary Labour’s ex-parte motion meant we had at most only two days to do so. Which in turn meant we would still be reconfiguring up till Saturday. Hence our decision to shift the elections by a week”.

Read the full statement:

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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)