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- Pix(above, L-R): Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti
The Obi-Datti Media Office has raised the alarm over INEC refusal to upload election results on the commission’s server, describing it as a fraudulent move to manipulate the Presidential Election results across the country. Particularly, the Obi-Datti Media Office lamented the non-uploading of much of the presidential election results to the INEC server at the polling stations.
The Office alarms: “It is curious, unacceptable, and smacks of fraud that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) device could nobly transmit the Senate and House of Representatives results, but cannot do that of the Presidential election.
“The Obi-Datti Media Office finds it curious that the BVAS would choose which results to upload and which not to upload. Certainly, this smacks of a serious fraud aimed to torpedo the wishes of the Nigerian electorate who have already decided that things can no longer continue to go wrong in Nigeria, using the ballot box to do so.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), should be held responsible for this flagrant anomaly that defies logic, as the Obi-Datti Media Office finds what is developing as a recipe to manipulate the process and truncate the electoral wishes of the Nigerian masses.
Rivers State
“We also find unbecoming, the reported interference of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. We call on all relevant bodies to do the needful and prevent the Governor from meddling in the electoral process.
“We wish to state categorically that the Obi-Datti Media Office will not accept any presidential election result that is not in tandem with the results issued at the polling units, copies of which we already have.
“We are calling the attention of local and international observers and other stakeholders, to this unfortunate and orchestrated anomaly. Please call INEC to order,” it pleads.
This even as the Diasporas for Good Governance (DGG), a U.S- based Non-Profit Organization of Nigerian-Americans citizens, that advocates for Democracy and Rule of Law, has also alarmed that in the just-concluded Nigerian elections of February 25, 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is systematically delaying the upload of the collated PRESIDENTIAL data of votes cast into the main database (BVAS Portals).
In a memo to the Secretary of State Blinken, US Department of State, Washington DC, DGG said: “This unexplained delay has been traditionally used in the past to rig elections and deny the people of their will to choose their leader.
“We have video clips evidences of several polling units that are unable to upload the results because INEC has refused to open up the BVAS portals. The BVAS were supposed to immediately allow Electoral Officers to upload the results from each polling unit to avoid manipulations. This was the very argument that INEC was making as a way to avoid results manipulation and now the same INEC is breaking the exact same rule that was supposed to protect the votes and democracy.
“Diasporas for Good Governance (DGG) is appealing to you to use your good offices to stop this delay and impress upon the INEC to immediately upload the presidential election results and NOT manipulate the results and subvert the will of the Nigerian people.
“This letter leverages on the position of the US Government as articulated by Mr. Will Stevens, the U.S Consul General, Lagos. The Nigerian people came out en mass and voted for the candidates of their choice.
“The available results from the polling units suggest increased voter turnout, voter engagement and a possible new direction for Nigeria.
“This delay is reminiscent of previous elections and has raised suspicion of result manipulation, which occurs between the polling booth and the collation center. We asked that the results be released immediately in order to restore confidence and trust in the system for a free, fair and democratic outcome, reflecting the will of the Nigerian people.
“Yours Truly, Dr. Iheanacho Emeruwa | Ayo Da-Silva
“CC: US Senator Chuck Grassley, US Senator Chris Van Hollen US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, US Rep. Chris Smith, US Rep. James Clyburn, US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, US Rep. Barbara Lee, US Rep. Glenn Ivey, US Rep. Ayo Owolewa, Jaime Harrison, Chair of Democratic Party, Hon. Stacey Abrams, US Observer Missions, UK Observer Missions, EU Observer Missions, ECOWAS Observer Missions, OAU Observer Missions.”/SHARE THIS