PRESS STATEMENT ON INEC’S POSITION ON ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF PRESIDENTIAL/NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
ELECTION RESULTS
Gentlemen of the press, in my usual manner I have called you here today to raise an issue of national importance, which borders on the Presidential and National Assembly elections conducted on Saturday, 25th February, 2023.
I want to state unequivocally that it is disheartening to learn that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has expressed the position that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), meant for the seamless transmission of election results electronically into the commission’s server is failing, and thus necessitating the reversal to the manual system.
This is against the standard for the election and it is not acceptable at all, as we are being taken back to the period of misery, when elections results were manipulated between the polling units and the collation centers.
It is the most despicable shameful act, after the certification of the veracity of the BVAS, for the transmission process of results, which was attested to, by the mock process successfully embarked on by INEC before the election, coupled by the successful deployment of the system for the Ekiti, Anambra and Osun governorship elections.
How on earth can INEC turn around at this critical period, to discredit the system? I hope they are not trying to foster the dismal APC government on Nigerians, who have expressed their determination to do away with this retrogressive party through the poll last Saturday.
For instance, Tinubu, was said to have secured 50,000 votes cast in Ikorodu, how can we accept this?
I make bold to say, this is a big embarrassment to Nigerians and the international community , whose hopes were raised that the giant of Africa and the most populated black nation has finally got it right and found a permanent solution to her intractable electoral quagmire of several years.
Alas, we are being drawn back to our disgraceful past, which to me is also dealing a severe blow to the effort of developed countries like the United States (US), who made huge financial and material commitment to our electoral process, expected to chart a new course and place Nigeria in her rightful place among the comity of nations.
How can we accept this uncivilised abuse against an established electoral reform already gazetted and entrenched as Electoral Act in our constitution? This is nothing but a reversal of our political fortunes by several millions of backward steps.
I am concerned that the international community who have invested their several millions of dollars in financial and material resources would be most bemused by this most unthinkable madness, being demonstrated by the Nigerian electoral umpire.
A nation is not about narrow irredentist fixation. It is larger. It is about common goals and shared values. It is about common destinies and common verities. Anything is a conglomeration of indifferent, wobbling and wavering entities. It is deviation from the normative patterns of a nation-state.
This is hardly the path of building an enduring nation. Great nations are built upon accommodating largeness where everyone must have a sense of belonging. The fair society insists on merit, frowns upon nepotism, encourages participatory inclusiveness, creates equal opportunity for everyone to actualize themselves.
I am hereby calling on the international community , who have their observers on ground, monitoring this election, to rise and condemn this most self-destructive and annihilating political malfeasance being perpetrated by our INEC.
In my humble opinion, INEC’s reservation on BVAS, is a despicable act, which is condemnable, most uncivilised, and capable of consigning Nigeria to the permanent stature of a pariah nation among the comity of civilised nations.
As an elder statesman, who has served Nigeria as a Military General and a prominent political office holder, I hereby demand amongst others.
1. That the transmission of the ongoing
collation for the Presidential and
National Assembly election results must
be transmitted electronically as
enunciated by INEC.
2. That INEC, should not succumb to any
pressure, to force to alternate the
results from the polling units, as history
would judge the Chairman of the
electoral body, who swore to oath to
ensure free, fair and credible electoral
process.
3. That in the event of being pressured to
alternate results of the election, the
INEC Chairman should raise his voice for
Nigerians to hear or step down from his
position.
CHIEF OLABODE IBIYINKA GEORGE, CON, GSSRS, FNSE
THE ATONA OODUA OF YORUBALAND
