PANDEF Raises Doubt over INEC’s Sincerity to Conduct March 18 Elections

Sunday Aborisade and Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has questioned the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) sincerity in conducting a free and transparent election by postponing the governorship and State House of Assembly elections three days after obtaining court approval to reconfigure the Commission’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

The body has also described how the electoral umpire postponed the governorship and state House of Assembly elections earlier today, March 11, as Machiavellian.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, PANDEF noted that it was less than 72 hours to the scheduled Governorship and State Assembly elections before the Court of Appeal, Abuja, granted INEC the relief they sought because if not given they won’t be able to hold the polls. They gave the impression the elections would hold as was scheduled”, but after the judgment, the commission suddenly shifted the elections, creating “room for more misgiving.”

PANDEF, in the statement, recounted how various reputable organisations, both local and international, had scored the performance of the INEC on the February 25, 2023, presidential and National Assembly election as “far below expectations.”
It cited: “Reports of BVAS defects, INEC’s failure to promptly upload results to its Portal from the various polling units across the country, with excuses of technical glitches, undermined the outcome of the electoral process.

PANDEF, however, insisted that the developments were “totally unacceptable, particularly, given the repeated assurances of President Buhari and  INEC of free, fair and credible elections, though the same election has resulted in a national assembly that somewhat reflects the new political outlook of the country.”
The group lamented that “with the huge amount of taxpayers’ money that was disposed to the process, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, should be personally held responsible for the observed lapses and inconsistencies.

Therefore, it demanded that the commission reassure Nigerians of its readiness to ensure that the lapses and inconsistencies observed during the February 25 election will not reoccur in the governorship and state assembly elections, now shifted to Saturday, March 18, 2023.
“PANDEF notes that it was less than 72 hours to the scheduled governorship and state assembly elections before the Court of Appeal, Abuja, granted INEC the relief they sought because if not given, they would not be able to hold the elections.

“They gave the impression the elections would hold as was scheduled, but after the judgment, they suddenly shifted the elections, creating room for more misgiving.
“PANDEF recalls that various reputable organizations, both local and international, had scored the performance of the INEC) on February 25, 2023, the Presidential and National Assembly election was ‘far below expectations.’

“PANDEF cites that reports of BVAS defects, INEC’s failure to promptly upload results to its Portal from the various polling units across the country, with excuses of technical glitches, undermined the outcome of the electoral process.
“PANDEF insists that these occurrences are unacceptable, particularly given the repeated assurances of President Muhammadu Buhari and  INEC of free, fair, and credible elections.

“Though the same election has resulted in a National Assembly that somewhat reflects the new political outlook of the country.
“Accordingly, with the huge amount of taxpayers’ money that was disposed to the process, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, should be personally held responsible for the observed lapses and inconsistencies.

‘PANDEF further notes that Forum’s preferred candidate in the presidential election, His Excellency Peter Obi, of the Labour Party (LP), has also expressed dissatisfaction with the results declared by the INEC and is already in court.

“We shall, therefore, withhold further comments on the subject matter until the courts make a final decision.
“Meanwhile, PANDEF urges all dissatisfied with the outcome of the February 25 election to seek judicial redress and not take laws into their hands not to exacerbate tension in the country.

“PANDEF hopes that the courts would dispense justice without fear or favour. Nigeria is greater than any individual or group.
“Finally, it is pertinent to demand that the INEC reassure Nigerians of its readiness to ensure that the lapses and inconsistencies observed during the February 25 election will not reoccur in the Governorship and State Assembly elections, now shifted to Saturday, March 18, 2023.”