The Independent National Electoral Commission has shrugged off demands by various stakeholders, including political parties, to pause the ongoing collation and declaration of the results of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections over allegations of electoral manipulation and compromise.
The Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party at the National Collation Centre in Abuja on Monday protested the failure of the commission to ask its officials to upload the results on the INEC portal from the polling units.
They complained about widespread discrepancies in the results of the polls and asked the electoral commission to halt the proceedings at the collation centre and address their complaints.
But following the refusal of the INEC Chairman, Mahood Yakubu, to heed the parties’ calls, some opposition parties on Monday staged a walkout during the announcement of results at the National Collation Centre, International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The walkout was led by the PDP which had queried the commission over observed alleged discrepancies in the released results and its failure to upload the election results on its portal for public view.
The PDP agent, Senator Dino Melaye, led the opposition parties out of the collation centre in protest against Yakubu’s refusal to acknowledge and act on their observations and demand.
The other parties included the Action Alliance, African Democratic Congress and Social Democratic Party.
However, nine political parties later came back to the centre about two hours after leaving the hall.
The agents of the parties also claimed they were not part of the walkout.
The parties include African Action Congress, Social Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party, Boot Party, Accord Party, National Rescue Movement, Youth Progressives Party, Allied Peoples Movement and New Nigeria Peoples Party. The All Progressives Congress did not join the protest.
Before the incident which disrupted the proceedings, the INEC chairman had shut down a motion by Melaye to adjourn the collation process until polling units results were uploaded on the INEC Results Viewing Portal.
While alleging that the entire process had been compromised by INEC, he sought for the cancellation of the entire presidential election results.
Source: Punchng
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