LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Organization has requested that the 25 February, nationwide presidential election be ruled as void by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC).
Also, the party requested that the electoral commission set a date for the holding of elections in places where the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System was not utilized and in violently disturbed areas.
The PDP protested the collation process by INEC, asking for a stop to further collation and staging a walkout from the collation center by the party’s collation center agents. This prompted the call.
In a statement on 27 February by its spokesperson, Daniel Bwala, the PDP said: “Declare this election inconclusive and set a date for conduct of elections that addresses areas where BVAS was not used and where violence occurred which suppress the voting rights of the people.
“The conduct of the 2023 elections has been criticised across board as one that is marred by irregularities and total departure from the Electoral Act amendment.”
Bwala explained that this had led to a constitutional logjam created by the protest pulled out of the coalition of political parties.
The campaign representative went on to say that INEC should “immediately pause national collation and address the allegations highlighted by parties relating to BVAS bypass and electronic transmission of results.
“Set a date for conduct of elections in the affected places and ensure results are uploaded as contained in the guidelines. The said elections must be free and fair and BVAS used accordingly.
“Cancel all the collated and announced results so far until such a time when all the results collated at the polling units alone be uploaded to INEC server, same only announced, duplicate copies of which all party agents have for transparency sake.”
In order to rebuild the trust of the Nigerian people and the world community, the electoral umpire should also “address the Nigerian public in a televised speech on the sanctity of the processes and integrity of his person.”
He also observed that it is clear and undisputed to all at this stage that INEC is refusing to address the observed problems and objections that have been widely expressed and shared and also corroborated by the report of the major stakeholders in the country, former presidents and international observers.
He further stated: “What is not clear is the intentions of INEC chairman and INEC as a commission. Section 65 of the electoral act mandates the INEC chairman to correct every anomaly (s) raised by stakeholders of the process (political party and their agents) within 7 days.”
Adding that “this election is crucial to the national security of the country,” he said that the credibility of the process and the validity of the results must never be sacrificed in the name of expediency and haste.