CITIZENS COMPASS – Again! Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, has contested the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of February 25, 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria.
The Director General of the Council, Balogun Akin Osuntokun, disclosed this in Abuja, on Thursday, during a press gathering.
He said this is due to the fact that because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to meet citizens’ expectations in spite of the huge resources expended to execute the watershed election.
He opined that the National Chairman of the Commission Prof Mahmood Yakubu should be sacked.
“It is now only logical, bolstered by the final Observer Group reports, that the International Community take immediate and appropriate punitive action against Prof Mahmud Yakubu, Barrister Festus Okoye and other top administrative and field staff of INEC, directly complicit, in the desecration of these elections.
“We also demand unequivocally, the immediate dismissal from Ofiice and prosecution of Prof Mahmud Yakubu, and the commencement of forensic financial investigation, into the expenditure of budgeted disbursements and Donors’ funds received by INEC.
“Not least of which is the N300 billion appropriated from the National purse, as well as other funds and materials, received from International Donor Agencies,” he stated.
He maintained that the election was yet conclusive as in spite of the fact that the All Progressives Congress APC, candidate has been declared winner and he has assumed the office of the President.
Osuntokun said the European Union Observer Mission in Nigeria deserved to be commended for their doggedness and forthrightness, more so, that they underscored the fact that the election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), fell short of citizens’ expectations.
Osuntokun said the report identified that the credibility of the 2023 election was greatly tarnished by numerous pitfalls and thus the election cannot be said to have been concluded until the legal process has been concluded.
He pointed out that for instance, the report identified that “A significant percentage of the results uploaded to the IReV were unreadable. Furthermore, at the time of publication, INEC had still not uploaded more than 9,000 presidential polling unit results to the IReV and did not clarify how many of these units were canceled”.
The Director General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation said the international community has fixed its focus on the Nigerian Judiciary after both parties concluded their submission for the verdict and charged the judiciary to do the right thing.
According to the Director General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, Given the extent of fraud, impunity, conspiracy, deceit, financial waste and democratic impediment, orchestrated and effected in the 2023 elections, and the increased interest, awareness and participation of our people in partnering practically, to bring genuine change to our country this time.
It is imperative, that we as a people, do not again fall to the complacent hopelessness, that has aided recurrence and deterioration, but that we pursue the required rectification and legal correction required, to ensure that the will of the people, as expressed in the 2023 elections, are firmly and rightly, upheld.
“While it is often said that government is a continuum, and the administrative formalities following the bizarre declarations by INEC, have been put in place, the election today remains under legal contest, and cannot be concluded, until the legal processes have been rightly and judiciously exhausted.
“There is no doubt that these 2023 elections represent a significant and overwhelming watershed in our country’s electoral, political and development history, and that this time, the entire nation and the international community also, stand determined to ensure, that electoral fraud and the manipulation of the true will of the people, will not stand – as the foundation for bad governance in the past, had been concretised, by the acceptance of such illegality and conspiracy.
“Having concluded the hearing stage, at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja, the attention of the people and the international community remains transfixed on the judiciary, and with it, the expectation that the glaring wrongs, as documented by all Observer groups, local and international, will be corrected, for the good of the nation.”
Osuntokun continued; “In critically and broadly examining the independent reports of the various Observer missions, the consistency in their experiences and exposition, cannot be overlooked, as each and every Observer group, underlined the fact, that the elections fell short of citizens’ expectations, legal regulations and moral and international standards.
“We commend, in particular, without equivocation, the courage, sense of focus and clarity of thought, expressed by various Election Observer groups, local and international, that were duly accredited to monitor the elections.”
He gave credit to The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, The United States National Democratic Institute (NDI) – & International Republican Institute (IRI) Joint International Election Observer Mission, The European Union Election Observer Mission, Commonwealth Observer Group, The African Union AU, ECOWAS and all other regional and local Observers, all deserve commendation.
According to him, “Their doggedness in field engagement, despite the onslaught of violence, inducement, manipulation and all manner of evil, as witnessed in the elections, will serve not only as an unbiased record of the tragic events but as motivation for its logical conclusion and inevitable resolution, according to the will of the people.
He noted that; “The European Union Election Observer Mission, also presented a most comprehensive and analytical report.. It stated clearly and I quote, ‘The 2023 general elections did not ensure a well-run transparent, and inclusive democratic process as assured by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Public confidence and trust in INEC, were were severely damaged during the presidential poll and was not restored in state level elections”.
It went further to state that “Abuse of incumbency by various political office holders distorted the playing field” and that “Public confidence gradually decreased and was severely damaged on 25 February due to its operational failures and lack of transparency” and that “multiple missteps and lack of transparency before the polls, compounded by severely delayed display of presidential result forms, dashed the public trust in election technologies used. INEC failed to give a timely and comprehensive explanation for the failures on 25 February”.
