The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has called for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt the collation process, cancel the 2023 general elections, and organize a fresh election. The party’s demand is based on claims that many of its members were disenfranchised due to their logo being blurred on the ballot. Additionally, they allege that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, violated the Electoral Act by campaigning on election day through the display of their chosen candidate.
In a press conference held in Abuja, NNPP National Chairman Prof. Rufai Alkali expressed gratitude to Nigerians, particularly the youth, for their support. He voiced concerns that the conduct of the presidential election had regressed the country to a pre-2015 state characterized by ballot box snatching, violence, vote buying, and security agencies favoring the ruling party. Alkali emphasized that the blurred image of the party’s logo on the ballot paper confused supporters and ultimately disenfranchised them. He stated, “INEC used the most blurred image of our logo in the ballot paper that did not reflect the symbol of our party. Many of our party supporters could not identify the logo.”
Alkali further criticized the actions of President Buhari and Malami, who were reportedly seen encouraging voters to support a specific party on election day. He argued that campaigning on election day constitutes a violation of the Electoral Act, which mandates that the ballot is secret. He asserted, “This illegality done by the President and the Minister of Justice on election day speaks volumes. The election results being announced by INEC should be canceled.”
Discussing the overall conduct of the election, Alkali noted that despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Naira swap policy, instances of vote buying were rampant. He reported that in many electoral wards, individuals were observed distributing money, food, and other inducements. He added, “In the majority of the polling units, BVAS failed, and some did not work, preventing people from voting. In most places, ballot boxes were stuffed with ballot papers.” Alkali also mentioned attempts to alter election results where BVAS was operational, highlighting that political parties had been promised electronic transmission of results, which the ruling party and its candidate rejected.
To protect democracy and the integrity of the electoral process, Alkali insisted that the current election results should not be accepted by Nigerians or their allies. He called for an immediate suspension of the announcement of results and the cancellation of the 2023 presidential election, urging that new elections be conducted as soon as possible. He concluded by stating that the results had been tampered with during transit, which the new electoral act aims to prevent.
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