Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, on Friday talked tough on the controversy dogging last week’s governorship election in Anambra State declaring that the commission would not cancel the polls, even as he vowed that all those who compromised the election in some areas would be brought to book.
He also announced that INEC had fixed next Saturday, November 30, for the supplementary election that would conclude the governorship election that took place in the state.
Professor Jega, at a World Press Conference in Abuja, said that the commission had reviewed all the complaints received from all the stakeholders and came to the conclusion that there was no substantial material evidence to warrant the total cancellation of the poll as being agitated for in some quarters.
Professor Jega, who admitted that there were mistakes in conduct of the election, said, “the election in Anambra State was neither perfect nor the best election as we wished, but the conduct of the election was very peaceful, free and fair, there is no substantial evidence to warrant its cancellation, so, we will abide by the decision of the returning officer that the election was inconclusive and that supplementary election should be conducted in certain areas of the state.”
Speaking on the missing of names of eligible voters in the electronic voter register that was used for the election and the allegation that the register used for the election was different from the ones given to the political parties and other stakeholders ahead of the election, Professor Jega disclosed that the commission had also investigated the claim, especially from one of the candidates in the election, and discovered that it was not true.
He said that those involved had either been involved in multiple registration or did not make use of the opportunity provided for them during the continuous voter registration exercise before the names were finally moved to the electronic voter register used for the conduct of the polls.
He said that the commission had met and reviewed all the complaints and petitions from individuals and political parties and found out that there was no genuine ground for cancellation of the election in line with electoral laws, saying the election had substantially complied with the provisions of the 2010 electoral law as amended.
Jega also insisted that the 181 people from Osun State who claimed to be election observers and were arrested in Owerri, Imo State were fake as they were not accredited by the commission to monitor the election, saying that they forged an accreditation card of a group which was actually accredited by the commission.
According to Jega, “the so-called election observers from Osun State are fake. They did not belong to any accredited organisation. They did not come to Awka, the state capital, where the accreditation took place. They went to camp in Owerri for only God knows reasons. We should commend the security agencies that caught them before they could wreak their havoc.
“They are not INEC accredited election observers, we have our facts that they were coming for another mission. As we speak, we learnt that the Osun State Director of Public Prosecution, (DPP) was even trying to take over the case which is an electoral offence. You can see that something is fishy,” Jega further explained
Prof Jega said that the commission had learnt its lessons and was fully prepared for the supplementary election in the affected areas, urging the electorate to co-operate with the commission in its bid to deliver a free, fair and credible election in Anambra State and the country in general.
He assured that all those who were responsible for the failed election in parts of Anambra State would be brought to book.
He assured that all those who were responsible for the failed election in parts of Anambra State would be brought to book.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Friday night said it would not participate in the supplementary governorship election next Saturday.
It rejected the announcement by INEC to hold supplementary election in Anambra State on November 30, in a statement by its spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
“We will not be a party to what is obviously a travesty of election by a self-discredited and conniving electoral umpire,” APC said.
It expressed “absolute shock and incredulity that INEC could even talk of organising a supplementary election, despite the alleged weight of credible evidence” presented by the party as well as election monitors/observers that “what transpired on November 16 was nothing but a sham.”
“This announcement has confirmed our worst fears that INEC is working in cahoots with the PDP and the presidency to ensure that no election ever counts in Nigeria.
“The INEC chairman himself was the first to admit that a senior official of the commission compromised the election in one local government in Anambra State.
“We, on our own part, were able to establish that materials meant for several local government areas that were the strongholds of our candidate were diverted; that out of the about 1.7 million registered voters in Anambra, only a little over 400,000 were accredited to vote and that the voters’ register was apparently tampered with to remove many names and disenfranchise thousands of voters.
“Yet, the same electoral body that admitted that the election was compromised has turned around to validate it by its decision to organise supplementary election instead of cancelling the parody of election and holding a fresh one. This is a sad day indeed,’’ APC said.
The party said it was “obvious that Nigerians could not count on INEC to organise a free, fair and credible election anywhere in the country,” while calling on Nigerians to take their fate in their own hands to ensure that the principle of one man, one vote is sacrosanct.
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