The Director General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adhere to the guidelines set forth in the Electoral Act or to cancel the entire election process. Osuntokun made this statement during a press conference held in Abuja on Monday. He emphasized that President Muhammadu Buhari had pledged to ensure free and fair elections through the passage of the new Electoral Act. Additionally, he pointed out that INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had also promised both Nigerians and the international community that the elections would be conducted fairly.
Osuntokun further noted that the electoral body had repeatedly asserted its readiness to conduct free and fair elections; however, none of these promises have been fulfilled. He stated, “All the promises made about deploying a fair and safe system anchored on Bimodal Voter Accreditation System technology were broken.” He highlighted that the internet and social media have captured videos and photographic evidence of the widespread violence and attacks against Nigerians, with some incidents still occurring in various parts of the country.
He also mentioned that the evidence of collusion between INEC and security forces to undermine the will of the people is extensive. “The INEC guidelines on the conduct of elections were extensively breached, and INEC has shown a clear reluctance to make necessary adjustments to remedy the situation,” he said. He expressed concern that the processes leading to the election results have been compromised, contrary to the publicly advertised guidelines.
Consequently, Osuntokun stated, “We regret to inform you that we have lost confidence in the results being collated and announced.” He expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their support of the Labour Party candidate and assured them that they would not surrender their mandate to a group of leaders who have only created problems for the country. He urged that Nigeria remains peaceful and law-abiding, while assuring citizens that they are taking every legal measure to protect their sacred mandate.
In conclusion, Osuntokun called on INEC to suspend the announcement of the results and to adhere to the established guidelines, or to completely cancel the election and organize a new one in strict compliance with the stipulated laws and guidelines.
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