elections anywhere in Nigeria, Chairman of the electoral body, Prof
Mahmood Yakubu, has said.
The INEC Chairman, stated this at a press briefing on Sunday afternoon at
the International Conference Center (ICC) in Abuja.
Responding to a question on the electoral process in Imo, Lagos, and
Anambra states, where various electoral malpractices were recorded, and
the need to reschedule elections in the entire states or parts of the
states, he said: “Where violence occurs, or where there are violations
that make it impossible for us to conduct credible elections in parts of a
state, then obviously, our solution would only apply to that part of the
state.
“I remember in our regulations and guidelines, we made it clear where
there is a willful refusal to use the smart card reader, the commission
will appoint another date to go back to those constituencies on that
elections and I’ve enumerated the number of states where, yesterday, we
directed the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to conduct elections,
before we can finally conclude on those states.
“So, wherever there are violations, and these violations would require
going back to conduct elections, we’ll do so. But so far, there is no
state where these violations are wholesale, across the state to warrant
full repetition state-wide.”
There had been rumours that there were moves to cancel the elections in
the FCT because the ruling party lost. However, the INEC chairman refuted
the claims.
Responding to the question on if the FCT area council elections were
cancelled, he said: “As chariman of INEC, I’m hearing this for the first
time. We have cancelled no elections; not in the FCT, not anywhere in the
country.
“Under our laws, once the returning officers make a declaration, then only
the judiciary can reverse those declarations. Much of the elections in the
area councils in the FCT will be a matter for returning officers appointed
by the commission to make declarations. There is one senatorial seat, and
two federal constituencies in the FCT. We only collate the results for the
presidential election. And we will look at it in the context of nationwide
results. No election result has been cancelled in the Federal Capital
Territory or any part of Nigeria for that matter.”
He also said Ekiti State had concluded all that has to do with the
presidential elections as the collation officer for Ekiti State is already
on his way to Abuja with the result of the presidential election.