Electoral Commission (INEC) and coalition of Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) have outrightly rejected the results of the presidential election
undergoing collation in Abuja, describing it as an “unprecedented affront
in the falsification” of the polls which took place on 23rd February,
2019.
This was contained in a statement widely distributed to the media by
Yunusa Ibrahim for CSOs and Umoren Esieme for Accredited Observer Groups.
According to the stakeholders, “the coalition noted with dismay the
unprecedented affront in the falsification of the just concluded
Presidential election results in Nigeria due to massive falsification of
figures during collation, abduction, intimidation and harassment of INEC
staff and electorates and wide spread violence across the country”, it
stated.
The rest of the statement reads:
We have evidences of varying degrees that results from different states of
the Federation has been mutilated, falsified and changed to sooth the
candidate of the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari.
It is our firm belief that the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is the
greatest beneficiary of a transparent, free, fair and credible elections
in Nigeria and as such should sustain same template across the country.
The current process where state election results are being doctored to
sooth PMB is therefore regrettable and unacceptable.
We hereby call on the International community, the media, Foreign and
Domestic Observers to urgently save the Nigerian democracy which is on
transit to death.
OUR OBSERVATIONS.
We observed that elections commenced later than the stipulated threshold
of 8am across the country. There were instances of lack or unavailability
of the police for escort of the ad hoc staff and sensitive materials (Form
EC8A and ballot papers) to designated polling units. This basically was
the cause of delay on the arrival of sensitive materials and consequently
the delay in the commencement time of election nationwide.
In line with International best practice, policemen in the polling units
are NOT expected to carry firearms. But the near or complete absence of
armed law enforcement agents few polls from the polling units gave room
for thugs and hoodlums to snatch ballot boxes, intimidate and molest
electorates, and unleash mayhem on law abiding citizens as the case may
be. Policemen at the polling units were often overwhelmed by the large
number of thugs.
The role of the military in elections and consequent rule of engagement in
elections were clearly and consistently violated. We observed the military
in states like Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Cross River, Kogi, Kano, etc, order
electorates, observer, some party agents out of collation centres for the
sole aim of falsification of results in favour of a preferred candidate.
This is an aberration of modern democratic tenets.
In some instances in Akwa Ibom state, Rivers, Imo, Cross River, Kogi,
Kano, etc,the law enforcement agent were observed fire sporadically into
the air and snatching ballot boxes away themselves.
Again, in the full glare of the Military and the I.G.P. squad of the
Nigerian police, hoodlums loyal to Senator Akpabio assaulted foreign and
domestic observers in Ukana, Essien Udium LGA of Akwa Ibom state, seizing
and destroying their Tabs, phones and other personal effects. Some of the
victims are still in the hospital receiving urgent medical attention as
at the time of this briefing.
The Smart Card Reader (SCR) were not used in several polling units across
the country. This was as a result of threat to life by thugs and hoodlums
engaged by some desperate politicians. Sadly, most of the results which
emanated from a process in clear violation of the provisions of the
Electoral Act, 2010 as Amended were collated, declared and a winner
emerged.
We have also observed the increase in the number of deaths during the 2019
General Elections as against the number of deaths in 2015 General
elections. A total of 12 Nigerians lost their lives during the 2015
General Elections. These 12 persons died as a result of Boko Haram attack.
In 2019 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, 30 Nigerians were
murdered in cold blood on election day as a result of election related
violence. This we consider as saddening and alarming in a context
supposedly civil and democratic.
It seems to us that Nigeria is transiting backwards to the dark ages of a
near anarchy situation.
SUMMARY
We wish to state categorically clear that the lacuna and shortcomings
observed in the 2019 General Election is as a result of persistent
aberration consequent to the inability of law enforcement agencies to
comply with the necessary electoral reforms in line with International
Standards, rule of engagement, the constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria (1999 as Amended), and the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as
Amended.
This re occurring decimal has become malignant in the performance index of
the Law enforcement agencies in Nigeria en route free, fair, transparent
and credible elections in Nigeria.
The Presidential results are hereby rejected in the interest of equity and
fairness.