INEC faults Alegeh on inconclusive elections

• Describes NBA president’s statement as misplaced, undeserved

The  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday, dismissed  the claim of the  outgoing president of the  Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Augustine Alegeh, on inconclusive elections in some parts of the country.

This was contained in a statement signed by the acting secretary of the commission , Mr Musa Adamu and made available to newsmen in Abuja,  on Wednesday

The  commission said that its attention had been drawn to a statement credited to Alegeh in which he rebuked it for conducting 136 inconclusive elections in  a  year under the watch of Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

It quoted Alegeh making such remark at the 56th annual general conference of NBA in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on August 21.which it described as false based on the remarkable achievements it had made in conducing rerun in the country despite all the odds

While  acknowledging  that Alegeh was   highly knowledgeable and respected, the commission  said that his statement at the conference of NBA in Port Harcourt,  was unfortunate and grossly incorrect.

According to INEC, 163 elections, comprising 80 court-ordered elections in the aftermath of 2015 general election, 70 end-of-tenure elections, 13 by-elections occasioned by death or resignation, have  been conducted by the new commission.

It  said  that out of the 163 conducted elections, 118 were concluded at first ballot and 21 concluded after supplementary.

It explained  that two cases were pending, while 22 suspended re-run  in Rivers  State due to violence, were to be concluded.

“This shows that 72.3 per cent of the elections were concluded at first ballot, 21.8 per cent of inconclusive elections were concluded after supplementary, 1.2 per cent pending, while 13.4 per cent were suspended in Rivers State.

“It is clear from the foregoing that Alegeh‘s pronouncement was ill-informed and his stern rebuke to the commission, was misplaced and undeserved.

“The commission remains unwavering and irrevocably committed to delivering elections that are free and fair  as well as  ensure that the vote of every eligible Nigerian counts,’’ it said

It said the commission had maintained that inconclusive elections were caused by violence and over-voting, adding  that the notion of inconclusive election was not strange to the laws.