Christian Elders calls for cancellation of presidential election results

The Nigerian Christian Elders Coalition has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the results of the just concluded presidential election, citing some irregularities and violation of electoral codes.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, the Christian Elders said they were concerned about the refusal of INEC to electronically transmit the results of voting directly from the polling units to IREV Platform as required by the electoral act.

Reading the text of the Press briefing on behalf of the Christian Elders, the Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre, Pastor Sarah Omakwu said the failure of INEC to transmit results electronically is unbelievable and surprising considering that the heart of the new electoral law is the mandatory electronic transmission of results to enhance the credibility of the process.

With her are Pastor Austin Kemie, National Secretary Nigeria Prays, Pastor Yemi Oyeniyi,
Living Faith Church and Professor Sam Amadi.

“We Christian leaders in Nigeria wish to deeply express to you our pain that after so many years of our democracy and the great expectation we recently generated, the electoral management body has now terribly dashed our hopes and brought the nation to the point of avoidable crises.

“We are further pained beyond measure that our beloved Country has been dragged again to the precipice because of deliberate failure by the Independent National Electoral Commission (NEC) to comply with its own regulation and the electoral law.

“We have read reports and received briefings from several of our members who voted and monitored the elections. We have also listened to the preliminary reports of international and domestic election observers.

“All these eminent observer missions lamented the colossal failure of logistics and integrity of the process provided by law in the conduct of elections.

“The most distressing aspect of the conduct of the election is the refusal of INEC to electronically transmit the results of voting directly from the polling units to IREV Platform as required by the electoral act.

“This failure is unbelievable and surprising considering that the heart of the new electoral law is the mandatory electronic transmission of results to enhance the credibility of the process.

“We can recall several instances when either the Chairman of the Commission or the Commissioner in charge of Voters Education had assured the nation that election results would be transmitted electronically from the polling units”, she said.

Omakwu said it is sad that INEC that led in the enactment of a new electoral act that mandates electronic transmission has refused to comply with this provision and rendered the results that it is presently collating dubious and unreliable.

She expressed shock that many hours after a National election, INEC could not transmit the results as required.

“This is in addition to many other fundamental breaches of the electoral law, including late commencement of voting across the country, non-voting in many polling units and widespread reports of logistic failure as highlighted by foreign and domestic observers.

“The failure to comply with the electoral law and INEC’s regulation and guidelines on the conduct of elections, particularly Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 38 of the Regulation and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022. These laws make it mandatory to electronically transmit the results of elections from the polling units.

“In the light of these flagrant violations of the law regarding the conduct of the election, which include (but not limited to) rampant voting by underaged children; collusion with the security agencies, in several documented cases, to perpetuate violence, and the fraudulent tempering and falsification of results, etc.

“INEC has thus put the legitimacy of the 2023 Presidential election results in terrible disrepute. We therefore call on INEC to suspend further action on the election results and then explain to Nigerians the circumstances for this grave violation of the electoral law and the administrative actions it intends to take to rectify this breach of integrity of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“As Christian leaders, we would continue to pray for peace and unity in Nigeria and it is thus our prayer that INEC will immediately do the right thing by cancelling the Presidential Elections so as to restore the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria”, she added.