Barely 24 Hours Later, PDP Makes Strong Demand From INEC Over Certificate of Return Issued to Tinubu
- The Independent National Electoral Commission has been called upon to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress
- The call was made by the Peoples Democratic Party's National Working Committee on Thursday, March 2
- According to the PDP's NWC, the party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar won the 2023 poll which was conducted on Saturday, February 25
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The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced the rejection of the declaration of Bola Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election conducted on Saturday, February 25.
The PDP's NWC also rejected the presentation of the certificate of return to the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday, March 1.
Source: Twitter
A statement signed by Debo Ologunagba, the national publicity secretary of the PDP, said that demands that INEC immediately withdraws the Certificate of Return issued to the presidential candidate of the APC.
Ologunagba also called on INEC to cancel the 2023 presidential election declaration in line with its powers under Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022.
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He said:
"The party insists that INEC in declaring the APC Presidential Candidate as the winner, acted contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022 and the INEC Guidelines and Regulations for the conduct of the 2023 Presidential election.
"The PDP holds that its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar clearly won the February 25, 2023, Presidential election having evidently scored the majority of lawful votes cast by Nigerians at the Polling Units.
"Sadly, the election was marred by deliberate malpractices including the non-use of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC’s refusal/failure to transmit directly the results from Polling Units to its Server/Website in flagrant violation of Section 60 (4)(b) of the Electoral Act 2022."
Violation of the provision of the Electoral Act
The PDP warned that the alleged violation of the Electoral Act by INEC as attested to by political parties, voters, Nigerians of all walks of life as well as local and International Observers, paved the way for the alteration, falsification, switching of results and allocation of figures in favour of the APC.
His words:
“Our attention has been drawn to reports in a section of the media of alleged plans by the Commission to rig the 2023 General Election by abandoning the direct and real-time electronic upload of Polling Unit results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal.
“The Commission has repeatedly reassured Nigerians that it will transmit results directly from the Polling Units as we witnessed in Ekiti and Osun State Governorship elections…. The IReV is one of the innovations introduced by the Commission to ensure the integrity and credibility of election results in Nigeria. It is therefore inconceivable that the Commission will turn around and undermine its own innovations.
"The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV have come to stay for voter accreditation and uploading of polling unit results in real-time in Nigeria”.
"By refusing therefore to transmit directly the results from the Polling Units, INEC violated the Electoral Act and its Rules and Regulation, compromised the process and marred the integrity and credibility of the election results.
"The PDP therefore asserts that consequent upon the violation by INEC of Section 60 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and its Rules and Guidelines on the election, the results announced by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, having not been earlier transmitted DIRECTLY from the Polling Units before the announcement are ultra vires, of no consequence and cannot stand.
"Consequently, our Party and its Presidential Candidate have commenced action for legal redress to reclaim our victory in the 2023 Presidential election.
"We appeal to our numerous supporters in Nigeria and across the world to remain calm, resilient, resolute and steadfast in the defence of democracy and the victory of our Party in the 2023 Presidential elections."
Finally, Tinubu, Shettima gets certificate of return from INEC
Bola Ahmed Tinubu's lifelong ambition to become President of Nigeria is one step away from becoming a reality.
On Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented the former Lagos state governor with his certificate of return.
With the handing-over ceremony in May, Tinubu's status as President will be officially confirmed on that day.
ANA congratulates Tinubu, warns Obasanjo against undermining democracy
Meanwhile, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president-elect, has been hailed on his victory at the just concluded election.
The Arewa New Agenda (ANA) sees Tinubu's victory as well-deserved, saying the country would fare better under his watch.
ANA, however, warned former president Olusegun Obasanjo against truncating democracy.
Source: Legit.ng
